ABSTRACT
In industrial policy, as in so many other areas, France is a case unto itself. It has pursued an active industrial policy longer than almost any other state and that policy is an outgrowth of its unique history and institutions. The 1944-1947 nationalization wave saw the electricity, gas and coal industries, the Bank of France, the main commercial banks and insurance companies, and the Renault automobile company join the ranks of the nationalized. Recruitment to the schools is via a system of tough competitive examinations, which attract the best students since the graduates of the Grandes Ecoles are viewed as the class which runs France. The principal regional aid in France is the regional policy grant, a project-related grant to manufacturing firms and to research and service sector activities. Several smaller firms have carved out an important niche for themselves in specialized areas such as Matra in missiles and Turbomeca in helicopter engines.
