Editing Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques (section)

== Economy ==
{{More citations needed section|date=January 2009}}
From the 1950s to the 1990s Pau depended on the production of natural gas and sulphur which were discovered nearby at [[Lacq]]. In the 21st century, the mainstays of the Béarn area are the oil business, the aerospace industry through the helicopter turboshaft engines manufacturer [[Turbomeca]], tourism and agriculture. Pau was the birthplace of [[Elf Aquitaine]], which has now become a part of [[TotalEnergies]]. [[Halliburton]] has an office in Pau.<ref>[http://www.halliburton.com/locations/ Office Location]. ''[[Halliburton]]''. Retrieved 13 January 2009.</ref>

Pau is the second economic hub of Aquitaine, after [[Bordeaux]]. A university city, it has concentrated several industrial centres and centres of important research in the fields of petroleum engineering and geosciences, [[petrochemistry]] and [[chemistry]], [[Food industry|food]], [[Automotive industry|automotive]], [[aeronautics]] and [[computer science]].

Pau benefits from its central location in the region of the ''Pays de l'Adour'' and its location between two major areas of population: Bayonne/Anglet/Biarritz (160,000 inhabitants) and the area of Tarbes/Lourdes (110,000 inhabitants) and secondary, more diffuse, areas: South of Landes/Dax (90,000 inhabitants) and the areas of Auch (40,000 inhabitants), Orthez/Lacq (30,000 inhabitants) and Oloron (20,000 inhabitants).

The municipality is partially within the [[Ossau-Iraty]] [[Appellation d'origine contrôlée|AOC]] area.

*Tertiary functions: administrative (prefecture, general council, etc.), cultural (university), judicial ( [[Court of Appeal (France)|Court of Appeal]]), commercial.
*[[CSTJF|Science Centre and technology Jean-Feger]], of the oil group [[TotalEnergies]] (formerly [[Elf Aquitaine]]).
*The {{Interlanguage link|Euralis|fr}} Research Centre.
*The [[Technopole]]s of Hélioparc, Pau Cité Multimédia and Pole E-Business southern Aquitaine (PEBA).
*Aeronautical and space industry.
*Electrical industry.
*Food and wine industries.
*Fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industry.
*Computer science, NTIC.
*''Pau Broadband Country'' ({{Interlanguage link|Réseau FTTH|fr|3=Réseau FTTH|lt=fibre to the premises}}).
*Business travel, seminars, congresses.

=== Industry ===
[[File:Turbomeca Arrius 1B.jpg|thumb|Arrius helicopter engine]]
Pau experienced an important economic boom based on the discovery of the giant deposit of natural gas in [[Lacq]]. Discovered in the 1950s (by engineer Jean Féger), it was then the largest terrestrial deposit of gas in Europe and helped France to be self-sufficient in gas for almost thirty years. The ''Société Nationale des Pétroles d'Aquitaine'' (SNPA) was born at Lacq in 1941, after merger with ELF in 1976 it became part of the [[Elf Aquitaine]] group, then [[Total S.A.|Total]] during its integration into the Group TotalFinaElf (in Lacq, known now the SNEAP, Société Nationale Elf Aquitaine Production).<ref>Roger Vincent Aiello, Dans les coulisses d'Elf Aquitaine, Éditions Le Manuscrit, 2010, p. 61</ref> Oil and focussed businesses (Total Exploration Production France, [[TotalEnergies]], Total infrastructure Gaz France (TIGF), [[Schlumberger]], [[Halliburton]]) and chemical ([[Arkema]], [[Air Liquide]]) settled in Pau or the surrounding area (in Lacq at the Chemparc chemical park but also in Pardies and Artix).{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The [[CSTJF|scientific centre]] of Total in Pau is one research centre for exploration and production of gas and oil in Europe, more than 2,000 people, including 900 doctors and engineers in the geosciences, resulting from the merger of ELF Aquitaine and Total.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://invest.cg64.fr/pageseditos.asp?idpage=406&sX_Menu_selectedID=top_FE166AB3|title=La filière des energies et des nouveaux matériaux|language=fr|trans-title=The sector of energies and new materials|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070823045754/http://invest.cg64.fr/pageseditos.asp?idpage=406&sX_Menu_selectedID=top_FE166AB3|archive-date=23 August 2007}}</ref> Research in the geosciences is also based on university partnerships/companies notably with the Federation of research applied to petroleum engineering (IPRA), consisting of teams of research CNRS/University of Pau and the Pays de l'Adour (UPPA) and Total (the IPRA represents 130 teachers, researchers and beneficiaries, an annual budget of 1.5&nbsp;million euros and six scientific Masters). Research and engineering in the geosciences are also present through specialised companies (CGG, Paradigm Geophysical, TTI, VERITAS, etc.) implanted, for the most part, on the site of the Hélioparc technopole and specialised training centres (IFP Training, NExT-Schlumberger, Wellstaff, Baker Hughes, etc.).

The area of Pau-Lacq is also geared towards fine chemicals (Acetex, now closed) and new materials. High-tech composite materials and nanomaterials have gradually been developed in Béarn with the Carbon Fibre Company (SOFICAR) and the GRL (Group of research of Lacq), one of the main centres of research of ARKEMA.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Industry has also developed recently around new energy investments and other energies: Bio-fuels (manufacturing site of bioethanol from the AB Bioenergy France Company, €150M investment), biomass (cellulose) and the production of electricity from gas (production site of [[Société nationale d'électricité et de thermique|SNET]], investment of €400M). One driver of uptake and [[Carbon dioxide|CO<sub>2</sub>]] sequestration process is also underway (industrial investment of €100M).{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Ultimately, these activities for fine chemicals and specialties, will ensure the reconversion of the traditional activities of extraction from the Lacq area.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The entire energy complex (Chemparc) now represents 12,000 direct jobs.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Pau is part of the global competitiveness cluster of [[Aerospace Valley]], in the aerospace sector, with Toulouse and Bordeaux. The aviation industry is represented by major industrial groups ([[Safran]], [[Turbomeca]], Messier Dowty, Examéca, MAP, etc.), and a significant number of subcontractors. With Biarritz/Bayonne (Dassault) and Tarbes (EADS Socata, Tarmac), the area of the Pays de l'Adour is strongly oriented towards aeronautics (12,000 jobs).{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} These firms are involved on the [[Airbus]] programmes of [[Airbus A380|A380]]/[[Airbus A300|A300]]/[[Airbus A330|A330]]/[[Airbus A320|A320]] (landing gear, carbon fibre, welding, aerostructures), [[Airbus Helicopters|Eurocopter]] (engines, machining parts), [[Boeing]] (landing gear) and [[Embraer]]. Pau also hosts the service centre of the [[French Army]] ([[French Army Light Aviation|ALAT]]) [[Eurocopter Tiger|Tiger helicopters]]. The airport area in particular (aeropole Pau Pyrénées) is expanding and includes aeronautical and automotive subcontractors.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The pharmaceutical sector is growing and is represented by Pierre Fabre, [[Boiron]], [[Sanofi]] and [[Finorga]] companies. A bio-health centre grouping of industrial pharmacy and biology was created in 2006 around the Pierre Fabre and DBI enterprises.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The Pau economy is also based on the agri-[[food industry]] in the fields of maize, processed products (dairy products, canning, meat) and the wine industry (Group {{Interlanguage link|Euralis|fr}}, [[Candia (brand)|Candia]], Bongrain, 3A, Michaud and Miot). With 400 researchers, Pau is the first European research centre for maize-growing.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The electronics and electrical engineering sector also has several industrial sites in the Pau agglomeration (Legrand, Arelec, Aquitaine electronics, Siemens).

=== Services ===
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2023}}
Pau also concentrates the regional headquarters of many service companies as capital of the ''Pays de l'Adour'' region: The banking sector ([[Crédit Agricole|CA Pyrénées Gascogne]], Banque Pouyanne), insurance (MIF, MSA), construction (Groupe MAS, Cance) and business services (APR, YSA, Vitalicom).

[[Information and communications technology|ICT]] businesses have experienced an important development with the deployment of [[Optical fiber|optical fibre]] in the agglomeration and the implantation of companies specialising in information technology, networks and image processing. The technopoles [technological hubs] of ''Helioparc'' (close to the university, 1,000 jobs), ''Pau Cité Multimédia'' (north of the town, 700 jobs) and the ''@LLEES'' (Villa Ridgway built in 1905, former headquarters of Elf) concentrate a large number of systems integration and computer engineering [[information technology consulting]] schools. Pau should, ultimately, be fully connected to a fibre optic network (Pau Broadband Country) of the agglomeration of Pau-Pyrénées communities which will allow a data transfer rate of 10 to 100 megabits per second (and 1 gigabit per second for some companies) and applications of types such as [[Voice over IP|VoIP]], online services and ''[[Web television|webTV]]''. Pau is the third city in Europe, after [[Stockholm]] and [[Milan]], to have developed a very high-speed fibre optic network. The project has cost 30 million euros and has been spread over five years. This network has encouraged the location of French and foreign companies to Pau, which are specialised in imaging, services or design online.

Pau combines all the functions and administrative headquarters of a regional agglomeration: {{Interlanguage link|Conseil départemental des Pyrénées-Atlantiques|fr|3=Conseil départemental des Pyrénées-Atlantiques|lt=General Council of Pyrénées-Atlantiques}}, Court of Appeal for the departments under the purview of Pau (Pyrenees Atlantiques, Landes and Gers), the regional hospital, {{Interlanguage link|Chambre de commerce et d'industrie Pau Béarn|fr|3=Chambre de commerce et d'industrie Pau Béarn|lt=Chamber of commerce and industry of Pau Béarn}}, Chamber of Trade of Pyrénées Atlantiques, Chamber of Agriculture of Pyrénées Atlantiques, SDIS 64, [[Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour]]. The Chamber of commerce and industry of Pau Béarn manages the Pau-Pyrénées airport, the Groupe ESC Pau, the consular hotel, the CNPC and the IPC de Pau.

In 2006, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pau Béarn had 11,000 industrial and commercial companies registered as headquartered in Pau.

Pau is also a city of congress, symposia and business travelers with infrastructure allowing it to host national and international events. The {{Interlanguage link|Palais Beaumont|fr}} Congress Centre, a casino, a park of exhibitions and 4-star hotels (Parc Beaumont Hotel, Villa Navarre Hotel) all help to provide this infrastructure.

The town of Pau is home to many corps of the army. The {{Interlanguage link|5th régiment d'hélicoptères de combat|fr|3=5e régiment d'hélicoptères de combat|lt=5th regiment of combat helicopters}} (RHC), which was the first regiment of France to be equipped with the new [[Eurocopter Tiger]], the school of airborne troops (ETAP), the staff of the special forces land brigade, its air component (DAOS), and the central military administrative archive ({{Interlanguage link|Caserne Bernadotte|fr|3=Caserne Bernadotte|lt=Bernadotte Barracks}}) office. The defence sector represents a little more than 2,000 direct jobs in Pau.

=== Tourism ===
[[File:Pyrénées Eglise St Martin Pau 2.JPG|thumb|The view from the ''Boulevard des Pyrénées'']]
The town of Pau is located 45 minutes from the [[Pyrenees]] and its ski resorts. It is a holiday resort for tourists to the Pyrenees (hiking, climbing, skiing) and Spain. Located near the [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque]] and [[Landes (department)|Landes]] coasts (an hour's drive), it is possible to practice water sports ([[surfing]], [[Underwater diving|diving]], sailing, etc.).

Pau is the gateway to the five [[Béarn]]ese valleys (the [[Ossau Valley]], [[Vallée d'Aspe]], {{Interlanguage link|Vallée de Barétous|fr}}, the {{Interlanguage link|Vallée de l'Ouzom|fr}} and [[Vath-Vielha]]) that receives winter sports tourists (the ski resorts of [[Gourette]], [[Artouste]], {{Interlanguage link|Le Somport|fr}} and {{Interlanguage link|La Pierre Saint-Martin|fr}}), spas ([[Eaux-Bonnes]] and [[Eaux-Chaudes]]) and green tourism (white-water sports, cultural and gastronomic tourism).

Its location at the foot of the Pyrenees gives Pau an exceptional panorama of the chain of the Pyrenees, in particular from the [[Boulevard des Pyrénées]] which is a long avenue of {{convert|1.8|km}}, facing the Pyrenees mountain range.

{{Reduced pull quote|right|Pau is the most beautiful view of Earth from the world as Naples is the most beautiful view of sea.
|Said by [[Alphonse de Lamartine|Lamartine]], of Pau's unique mountain panorama}}

Pau, a former royal town and capital of Béarn, is also a city of cultural tourism and important business (Congress, conferences, notably in the {{Interlanguage link|Palais Beaumont|fr}}). The city, a former climatic health resort, also hosts a [[casino]] (the ''Casino de Pau'').

The city is historically closely linked to the United Kingdom and remains popular with the British on holiday. The British discovered Pau and its climate, and left their imprint when [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellington]] left a garrison there in 1814.<ref name="laffaye">Horace A. Laffaye, ''The Evolution of Polo'', Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, 2009, p. 27</ref> He defeated Marshal Soult at Orthez (some {{convert|40|km|0|abbr=on}} to the north-west) on his way into France from Spain towards the end of the Peninsular War. Vacationing British began arriving before the railway established the Boulevard des Pyrenées. The first full 18-hole [[golf course]] in Europe,<ref>Graham Robb, ''The Discovery of France'', Picador, London (2007), p.287</ref> created by people from [[Scotland]], and in fact located at [[Billère]], was laid out in 1856–1860 and is still in existence, and also a [[real tennis]] court. Spanish people are also very present in the city, as well as Portuguese and [[Morocco|Moroccans]] (consulates of Spain and Portugal). The [[Germany|Germans]] and Dutch, attracted by the climate of Pau and its heritage, are also more and more numerous.