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Greater Lyon, a land of entrepreneurship
Lyon, where it’s good to do business
Greater Lyon enjoys a thriving entrepreneurial scene. This dynamic scene has been supported by the actions of partners in the "Lyon Ville de l’Entrepreneuriat" programme (part of the Grand Lyon, l’Esprit d’Entreprise programme), aimed at raising public awareness about business start-ups and supporting project initiators at every step of the way.
Our ambition: “to make the urban area the number one business start-up zone in Europe”
- The “Grand Lyon, l‘Esprit d’Entreprise” collective economic development support programme
- Personalised support for large companies
- A support system for those starting, transferring and taking over businesses
Companies and institutions in Greater Lyon
Greater Lyon counts over 39,543 establishments, including:
- 82 company and administration headquarters, each employing over 1,000 workers in 2010
- well-known international organization:
- Interpol, Euronews, Handicap International, etc.
- global leaders:
- Renault Trucks, Sanofi Pasteur, Suez, etc.
- a thriving start-up scene
14,600 establishment creations in 201
- 85% of people surveyed were satisfied:
- support proposed by the different local structures is very well evaluated overall (eight points higher than in 2010 and well beyond the goal set at 75%).
- 78% of people surveyed confirmed the usefulness of local structures and the support they provide in promoting their business project.
- Very high level of satisfaction on:
- the quality of welcome and dialog and the professionalism of contacts.
Salon des entrepreneurs de Lyon
The Salon des Entrepreneurs de Lyon is the 2nd largest business start-up exhibtion in France (15,000 visitors, 150 exhibitors, 100 conferences).
Lyon: economy in figures
- 1,281,971 inhabitants in 2009*
- 7.1% increase as compared to 1999.
- Total employed: 653,106**
- Salaried employees: 488,857***
- 8.7% unemployment rate in the Lyon employment area
(compared to 9.4 % in France; Q4, 2011). - 5 competitiveness centers, including two with world-class status.
Lyon, a key European city
Lyon, an European city for entrepreneurship
- European Cities Entrepreneurship Ranking-ECER 2009
- Lyon is 9th in the list of the top European cities for entrepreneurship in Europe
- 1st French city in this top list
Lyon, an European city attractive for business
- Monitor Ranking, edited by Cushman & Wakefield, 2011
- Lyon is 19th in the list of the top business cities in Europe
Lyon, the “Business City of Tomorrow”
- 2011 Ernst & Young Attractiveness Barometer
- 1st French city able to rival Paris for 51% of foreign investors questioned
Lyon, an innovative metropolis
- 8th leading city worldwide for innovation (2011 ranking on the 2thinknow City Innovation Index)
- 1st center for research and higher education in France
- 18 establishments
- 130,000 students
- 11,500 research scientists in over 500 state-funded and private laboratories
- 1 University Development Scheme:
- a partnership approach unique in France
- Lyon the Campus City (Campus Plan):
- 32 M€ investment by Greater Lyon out of an overall budget of 700 M€ to re-qualify the LyonTech – La Doua (Villeurbanne) and Charles Mérieux (Gerland) campuses
- 1 Technological Research Institute in infectology:
- the only TRI for health labeled by the State in 2011
- 1 National Institute for the Development of Eco-technologies and Non-carbon-based Energy
*source: INSEE-RP
**source: INSEE-RP in 2008
***source: Employment Center; December 31, 2010