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 For the eighth consecutive year, Rhône-Alpes has been ranked as France’s second most attractive region for foreign direct investment, after Ile-de-France.
The Rhône-Alpes region is a closely interconnected network of towns and large cities: Lyon, Grenoble, Saint Etienne, Annecy, Valence, Bourg-en-Bresse, Chambéry and Privas, along with areas surrounding the Swiss border near Geneva. Its eight départements (Ain, Ardèche, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Rhône, Savoie and Haute-Savoie) amount to a market of over 6 million consumers with high purchasing power.
Rhône-Alpes shares a border with Switzerland and Italy and lies at the crossroads of key transport routes in Europe and France. It is very easily accessible with direct links to major destinations in Europe and around the world:
- A 800-mile long network of highways
- 1 international airport, Lyon Saint Exupéry, 7 regional airports and the nearby Geneva international airport
- 266 passenger and freight train stations
- 350 miles of waterways.
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 Rhône-Alpes is among the strongest economic regions in Europe with the sixth-highest GDP in Europe (€190 million). The region is recognized for its great economic potential and broad international focus, with a trade surplus of €6 billion.
The region is home to several decision-making centers and attracts a considerable number of businesses: 350,000 companies are based in Rhône-Alpes, including 4,650 under foreign ownership.
It boasts an impressive list of advantages: a strategic location at the crossroads of Europe, an excellent standard of living, a young population and a proactive global outlook.
The fact that Rhône-Alpes inhabitants are well-educated along with the region’s substantial opportunities for research and innovation are prime conditions for a vibrant economy that boosts the region’s attractiveness to investors. There are 235,000 students in Rhône-Alpes, which has 50 universities and grandes écoles and 9 international research centers.
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