An analysis of French mergers and acquisitions in different sectors of the Czech economy

Abstract

Over the past two decades, French enterprises have been heavily investing in the Czech Republic. Today, France is the fifth biggest investor to the Czech Republic, and French companies are among the most important employers. The aim of this study is to analyze the presence of French firms in Czech Republic by look at the example the French-Czech mergers and acquisitions (M & A), and to explain the main motivation of the location of French firms in the country. Using a review of documents and secondary data analysis, we observe that French enterprises have invested especially in the Czech manufacturing sector, energy & power, consumer staples and financial services. In this study, we evaluate if French corporations try to optimize their production process within so-called global value chains, and if French companies have invested in their own strategic domain area or another strategic area by using the diversification growth approach. Finally, we present examples of successful mergers and acquisitions of French firms realized in the Czech Republic.