International offices: guide

Paris

Our Paris office opened in 2018 and promotes the development of partnerships between Scotland and France. The office is located in central Paris within the British Embassy.

Team Scotland France consists of the Scottish Government France Office and Scottish Development International (SDI) France.

The Scottish Government team is a small team of three that leads on our diplomatic and political engagements in France as well as cultural diplomacy. The Scottish Development International team comprises of nine colleagues who lead on economic aspects such as trade promotion and developing investment opportunities across a range of sectors including energy, life sciences, new technologies, textiles, and food and drink. We also work with our British Embassy colleagues to promote Scotland’s interests.

At the Paris office we work on:

• increasing Scottish Government influence and engagement with France
• working with Scottish Development International to help companies win business, and to identify and deliver investment projects that create jobs and developing existing trade and investment activity to boost trade with France
• promoting strong links between French and Scottish businesses, academia and other organisations and identifying innovation-focussed opportunities
• encouraging more collaboration between business, research, education and cultural institutions
• supporting Scottish Ministers on official visits to France

We are committed to Franco-Scottish relations, whatever the UK’s future relationship with the EU, and we work to deliver events, ministerial visits and other engagements with French partners.

Strategic objectives

Priorities for 2023 to 2024

Build and strengthen our relationships:

• continuing to develop our national and regional engagement between Scotland and France
• showcasing the best of Scotland’s cultural heritage (including indigenous languages, music, food and drink, textiles, literature etc.) through engagement and events alongside French partners and stakeholders
• remembering the historical ties between the two countries (for example participating in commemorations and city twinning) 
• promoting Scotland during major sporting events, including the Rugby World Cup taking place in France 2023 and the upcoming 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
• building our multilateral engagement opportunities with Paris-based organisations such as UNESCO and OECD
• continuing to harness and grow our Global Scot network through targeted engagements
• ensuring Scotland's reputation as a global leader for innovation, research and higher education, as well as our ambitions for continued collaboration with our French partners, is well understood 

Contribute to Scotland’s trade and investment objectives:

• promoting a stronger trade and investment partnership with France across various sectors, including food and drink, renewable energy, life sciences, technology, space, and textiles
• building on and harnessing Scotland’s particular export strengths such as our premium and diverse food and drink offer, for example seafood (including Label Rouge salmon) and spirits (such as Scottish whisky and our growing gin industry)
• working with and supporting Scottish and French businesses and potential investors to create mutually beneficial links and partnerships, and providing guidance on market access as well as supporting visits to major exhibitions

Contribute to Scotland’s climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy objectives:

• supporting and showcasing our Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan by strengthening key French relationships ahead of COP 28
• showcasing Scotland’s hydrogen and offshore wind capabilities in France, based on a good understanding of France’s needs and identifying synergies of policy and investment opportunities
• examining wave and tidal energy in France, with a view of identifying longer term opportunities for Scottish companies to develop commercial relationships in France.
• exploring opportunities of Franco-Scottish partnerships in the field of industrial and maritime decarbonisation

See previous strategic objectives in our website archive.

Contact

Head of Paris Office: Miranda McIntosh

Email: Francehub@gov.scot

Twitter: @ScotGovFrance

Telephone (Reception): +33 1 44 51 34 64

Post:

Scottish Government Office
British Embassy
35 Rue Faubourg saint Honoré
75008
Paris