Ile-de-France in the world economy * Gateway to continental Europe and strongly linked to Africa The position of the Ile-de-France metropolis in the globalization of multinational companies is an issue both in the European and global competition that cities are engaged in, and in the adjustment of its attractiveness and planning policies enabling it to extend and renew its economy. An original study of the headquarters of multinationals The IAU Ile-de-France has collaborated in two complementary studies of the University of Lausanne on the power and attractiveness concentrated in Paris. A database of one million links of the 3,000 leading global groups (42% European, 6% French) was analyzed in this framework **. The IAU publishes today the Quick Note n ° 641 "Positioning of the urban area of ??Paris in the global networks of multinational companies". The Ile-de-France is ... • Second behind London and just ahead of New York within the world's top trio of the biggest metropolises that articulate the global system. • Particularly strong when it comes to radiation (control of subsidiaries from the IDF to the rest of the country or abroad) playing an equal role with London, mainly by the power of major French groups and their large network of subsidiaries Abroad and in the provinces. • In strong competition, for subsidiaries of major foreign groups, with London or New York, but also with metropolises such as Tokyo and, to a lesser extent, Madrid. • Less attractive for subsidiaries of major high-tech groups (as defined by the OECD nomenclature), largely ahead of New York, London but also Boston and caught up by Tokyo in this niche. • In an original role in Europe, particularly in relation to London, of coordination between metropolises in continental Europe but also of "go between" or intermediate between them and the rest of the world. • In a strong and privileged relationship with the African metropolises, well beyond the traditional "Françafrique", which shows the quality of this link, the first western metropolis in terms of links with African metropolises and very far ahead of London. The Ile-de-France could ... • Strengthen its position in the global economy by focusing on its specific characteristics, particularly vis-à-vis London. • Strengthen its role as a continental intermediary, but also by developing its special relationship with Africa, and even by promoting its economic take-off. • To work on the technological image of the territory (and also to reinforce its skills) by drawing on the breadth of recent projects of start-up incubators (Freyssinet Hall or NUMA) on its excellence in digital or laser and Optics with the Optics Valley cluster, which is the first in Europe.