Setting up your company in Lyon
2nd economic development centre and 1st city in terms of attractiveness (PWC 2015), Lyon offers many assets for international companies:
- An excellent geographic position, at the crossroads of major European traffic routes and 2 hours away from great European capital cities (Brussels, London, Madrid, Berlin, Rome)
- Connections to more than 115 national and international destinations from Lyon-Saint-Exupéry Airport
- An outward-oriented economy: 12,8% of French exports are from Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Lyon’s region
- A research and innovation centre with global outreach and an active scientific community
- Skilled workers in several fields: Lyon ist the 2nd French city for the quality of education (University of Lyon, INSA Lyon, Centrale Lyon, EM Lyon, ENS)
- A rapid growth: 17,137 new companies in 2016, i.e. 11,4 % more than 2015.
Lyon’s main strengths
A strong expertise in life science, clean energy and the digital sector
Lyon has developed has built up a recognised expertise in life science, green technology and the digital sector thanks to the creation of international competitive clusters.
- Lyon is one of the world’s most advanced pharmaceutical centres: it includes many specialties such as biotech, dermo-cosmetics and medical technology (more than 300 companies in Lyon)
- Lyon has defined a promotion policy for environmental technology: major industrial groups (WESTPORT, TOSHIBA, ENEL) as well as SMEs, research and training centres
- Lyon represents France’s 2nd digital centre, with more than 7,000 companies and 50,000 jobs. In 2018, Lyon will host for the second time “The Web Conference”, an international forum about the Web.
A growing attractiveness for foreign investments
- Lyon is Europe’s 7th city and the 19th at world level in terms of international investments (IBM 2015)
- Severak international companies are already active in Lyon: Euronews, Rhodia, Bayer, Renault Trucks, Sanofi-Pasteur, BioMérieux, DHL Express and many more
- 33% of the companies in the region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes are of foreign origin (2016)
- 730 foreign-owned companies with more than 20 employees and 81,500 jobs (mostly from Germany, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy, USA and China) (2016)
Why invest in Lyon?
Setting up your company in Lyon
Lyon encourages the setting up of international businesses in its territory.
- Lyon provides support in all phases of a company’s set up: visa application, fiscal and legal advice, children’s education or finding housing
- The prices for professional real estate are among the most competitive in Europe: the rent prices are lower than in Geneva, Manchester, Amsterdam, Düsseldorf and 30% lower than in Paris
- Lyon combines economic dynamism and quality of life thanks to its cultural life, gastronomy, leisure offer and the ideal framework between sea and mountain
Finding the right location for your company in Lyon
Lyon offers several locations for foreign companies depending on their activity: offices, logistic warehouses with access to major communication axis, business premises close to the airport, business and technology parks, clean rooms and laboratories and much more.
- The business area of Lyon Part-Dieu is the 2nd tertiary centre and a hub on a European scale. This district is located in the city centre and is directly connected to the TGV train station, gathering Lyon’s major decision makers
- La Cité Internationale is a high-quality business centre hosting important companies such as Olympus Biotech, Tosho Biosciences, the group Cardinal, Interpol
- Digital companies can set up within the Pôle PIXEL (centre for 500 innovative companies about image, sound and creative industry) or the Pôle Numérique Lyon Vaise (22 hectares business area for ICT, communication and digital entertainment companies)
- Life science business will find their ideal working environment within the Bioparc de Lyon in the city centre, the Biopôle de Gerland with offices, laboratories and clean rooms or even the Parc Technologique de Lyon, only 15 minutes away from Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport
