PRESS RELEASE – 9 FEBRUARY 2016
Invest in Lyon
Strong performance in 2015 confirms the Lyon area’s attractiveness
The Lyon Area Economic Development Agency (ADERLY) is presenting results for 2015 that are even better than those in previous years in terms of the number of company setups. This performance confirms various rankings published in recent months on the attractiveness of the Lyon area, which now heads the pack of French cities and stands among Europe’s top 10.
Even better results in 2015
In 2015, ADERLY assisted 92 new companies in their setup or development in the Lyon area, a record number that is 15% higher than the already very strong results in 2014 (with 80 setup projects). These projects account for the creation of 1,839 jobs within 3 years, slightly lower than in 2014 (-4%) though stable on the whole over the past four years.
Investment by foreign companies accounts for 47% of the number of projects and 47% of the number of jobs created. The United States, Germany and the United Kingdom remain the leading foreign investors in the Lyon area.
The figures show that that the tertiary and digital sectors play a leading role in the Lyon metropolitan area. These two sectors alone account for over 60% of the results for 2015, just ahead of two of Lyon’s other fields of excellence, life sciences and cleantech.
Finally, among these 92 setup projects, 32 were for head offices and 11 for R&D centers. In all, 9 setups were completed in areas outside of Lyon Metropole, including 6 in other locations of Rhône County, and the very first setup in Saint-Etienne, which joined ADERLY in mid 2015.
Among the main companies who chose to set up in Lyon are US firms Hexcel, Tesla, Ubisoft and UPS, as well as French studio Xilam, which produces animation for television, cinema and new technological platforms. The signing of Xilam, which has relocated part of its activity to Lyon, highlights the return of French production in the imaging sector and increases Lyon’s attractiveness in this field.
Perception/Reality
These results are a further illustration of Lyon’s appeal, highlighted in a number of rankings published in recent months. Lyon was ranked as France’s most attractive city according to PWC, the 7th most attractive city in Europe according to IBM and the 6th most attractive city for foreign investors according to EY. These are significant gains for the Lyon metropolitan area, which now has an image that is consistent with the reality of its economic dynamism, its appeal and its influence.
Outlook for 2018
The Agency aims to consolidate this high number of setup projects in the short term and also to generate a greater number of job creations. In order to accomplish this, given the average size of setup projects observed in 2015 in both Lyon and France, ADERLY has decided to adjust its yearly target for setups to 100 projects, with a view to creating 2,000 jobs. To meet this ambitious aim, the Agency will draw upon the Lyon area’s economic dynamism, as well as on its local ecosystem and international ties. Having detected over half of the projects set up in 2015, the Agency’s prospecting drives will be strengthened and broadened to new markets and new forms of companies, using new enhanced methods.
About ADERLY
ADERLY is the economic development agency in charge of prospecting and assisting companies in their investment projects in the Lyon area. Since it was founded in 1974, ADERLY has helped more than 1,300 companies set up operations in the region, including 60% with foreign capital. The Agency has extended its territory to include all of Rhône County, Plaine de l’Ain, the Portes de l’Isère Urban Community, ViennAgglo and, more recently, the Saint-Etienne Metropolitan Area.
About ONLYLYON
ONLYLYON is both the international brand and the territorial marketing program of the Lyon metropolitan area. Created in 2007 by the city’s main institutional and business players, the initiative aims to boost awareness of Lyon and attract new investment projects and new talents.
Press contact: Emmanuelle Sysoyev – 06.28.83.83.39 – sysoyev@onlylyon.com
