Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has become established as France’s second most important economic region and Europe’s fifth most important region in terms of wealth creation. It produces 11.4% of national wealth, and its GDP is equivalent to that of Finland. Manufacturing accounts for 18.3% of the region’s value added and provides employment for 500,000 people. The region has a strong and diversified manufacturing base, distinguished by both high-tech industries (development of electronics/digital technology, energy and biotechnology) and well-established traditional sectors (mechanical engineering, plastics, chemicals, textiles) that have adjusted to change to remain competitive.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes boasts 400 large businesses, 2,900 mid-size companies and 21,000 SMEs.

A region open to international trade

Sharing a border with Switzerland and Italy, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is strategically placed on main French and European transport routes, making it France’s second most important region for imports and exports (approx. €60 billion of exports annually).

This openness to international markets has led to the setting-up of 4,400 establishments with foreign capital (representing some 3,000 foreign businesses in manufacturing or manufacturing services), and over 700 businesses in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes have close on 3,000 subsidiaries, joint ventures or trade offices abroad.

Major research potential

As the second most important research region in France and the fifth most important in Europe, with over 600 laboratories and 40,000 researchers, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has vibrant innovation ecosystems, interlinked through its 18 clusters, its French Tech cities and its competitiveness hubs.

Lyonbiopôle is a global bio-cluster focusing on pharmaceuticals, particularly for cancer and human and animal infectious diseases (global center of excellence for vaccines and diagnosis).

The main contact is Damien Giroud, Invest Manager in the department of the Rhône. Working with the ecosystem, he will be the link to the partners with which we work on a daily basis (Grenoble city region, Aderly for the Lyon region, etc.).

La préfecture et les services d’état en région

• Bourg-en-Bresse ; s/pref : Nantua, Gex, Belley
• Moulins ; s/pref : Vichy, Montluçon
• Clermont-Ferrand ; s/pref : Riom, Ambert, Issoire, Thiers
• Aurillac ; s/pref : Saint-Flour, Mauriac
• Le Puy-en-Velay ; s/pref : Yssingeaux, Brioude
• Saint-Etienne ; s/pref : Roanne, Montbrison
• Lyon ; s/pref : Villefrance-sur-Saône
• Chambéry ; s/pref : Albertville, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne
• Annecy ; s/pref : Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Bonneville, Thonon-les-Bains
• Grenoble ; s/pref : La Tour-du-Pin, Vienne
• Valence ; s/pref : Die, Nyons
• Privas ; s/pref : Largentière, Tournon-sur-Rhône

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is well-known for its secondary school exam pass rate which is higher than the regional average. The region also has a large number of schools and colleges offering bilingual courses. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes has three international high schools – in Lyon, Grenoble and Ferney-Voltaire.

In terms of higher education, the region has more than 330,000 students, spread over fifteen university sites and about forty “grandes écoles”. The region’s three major academic sites – Lyon Saint-Etienne, Grenoble and Clermont-Ferrand – are recognized as sites of excellence and the region is also well-positioned in international rankings. The cities of Lyon and Grenoble are also popular with students for the quality of life they offer – they are at the top of the national ranking of cities in which it is good to study.

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is home to many innovative start-ups, grouped around two French Tech Capitals – French Tech One Lyon Saint-Etienne and French Tech in the Alps.

With more than €260 million raised by around fifty startups in 2018, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is the second-largest region in France in terms of fundraising.

Regional startups also benefit from dedicated support and financing schemes, supported by a rich ecosystem of operators able to support them as they grow – incubators, accelerators, large groups, etc.

From the volcanoes of Auvergne to the summit of Mont Blanc in the Alps, passing through the Rhone valley and Lyon, a city with more than 2,000 years of history, the region offers a wide variety of outings, visits and excursions, in all seasons – winter sports in the resorts of the largest ski area in the world, Provençal excursions in the Drôme and Ardèche, swimming and fresh air on the shores of the great Alpine lakes, gourmet weekends in the autumn in the wine-growing areas and at the restaurants of Michelin-starred chefs, trips through time, with sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as the historic center of Lyon, the Chaîne des Puys in the heart of the Auvergne volcano park, the paths of Santiago de Compostela, and the Chauvet-Ardèche cave.

For fans of the outdoors, the region is the largest playground in Europe, with hiking, cycling and mountain biking, trails, climbing, mountaineering and water sports, in exceptional natural but preserved environments, such as the Vanoise and Ecrins national parks and the 10 regional natural parks. And to allow you to live life to the full, major events and festivals punctuate these discoveries, the Festival of Lights in Lyon, the Jazz festival in Vienne, Ironman in Vichy, the festival of the lake in Annecy, the criterium of the First Snow in Val d’Isère and many more…

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