The Val d'Oise departement (French County), created when the Paris Region was divided up in 1967, quickly asserted itself as a dynamic department. Its 1.2 million residents, the City of CERGY-PONTOISE'S nearly 200,000 residents, and 32 towns with over 10,000 residents all give the department a two-fold aspect:

as well as extremely vast rural areas maintained in agricultural production zones: mixed farming and breeding in the Vexin Français (in a Regional Natural Park), with large-scale agriculture procuring high added value in the Plaine de France are (with another Regional Natural Park).

The Val d'Oise department, located in the North and Northwest periphery of the Paris urban area, truly enjoys a privileged location as both "gateway" to the Paris metropolis, and as an area open to Northern Europe (Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, etc.).

Its international character is strengthened by the presence of the ROISSY CHARLES-DE-GAULLE Airport on its territory, with an integrated TGV high speed train railway station providing remarkable connections for plane and train passengers.

While the Val d'Oise department's economic fabric is largely composed of small and medium sized firms and companies, it also accommodates many large firms that have an essential role in its economic dynamics. Headquarters and industrial groups of national and inter-national renown have already chosen the Val d'Oise department.

These are mainly directed towards an entire series of technologically based activities: computer equipment, industrial equipment, digital services, biotech companies, electronics, manufacturing with high added value, etc. For example, The Val d'Oise department ranks among top French departments in the robot production branch.

2,000 hectares of surface area in the Val d'Oise department (1.6% of the department's territory) are currently allotted to economic activity zones. The Cergy-Pontoise and Roissy CDG airport economic poles still have areas which are immediately available: 17 economic activity zones already have over 1,000 employees each.

Since 1990 the department has created over 100,000 salaried jobs, one of France's best performances in terms of growth. In 2004, the Val d'Oise department was ranked among top French departments in terms of growth in the number of salaried jobs. While jobs increase more rapidly in tertiary economic activity sectors, the depart-ment is more resistant to the deindustrialisation phenomenon affecting the Ile-de-France region.