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Invest in Rhone-Alpes

The Colorado investor who selects the Rhone-Alpes Region for European expansion will feel at home. Nearly 400 U.S. companies have chosen the region for their operations. The total population is 5.8 million, centered largely around the regions of Grenoble and Lyon, which approximates that of the Front Range Corridor in Colorado. The Rhone-Alpes Region has the 5th largest GDP of any region in Europe and is the second largest economy in France after Paris.  Familiar to Coloradans will be skiing, hiking, kayaking and stunning landscapes.  Grenoble is to the Alps as Denver is to the Rockies. 

Rhone-Alpes Facts:
Population: 5,845,407
Land Area: 113,207 sq.mi.
Population Lyon: 468,300
Population Metro Area: 2.6 million

 The region is also a  crossroads of France’s TGV – the high speed train that puts Europe’s major capitals within hours reach - as well as the crossroads of Europe’s major truck routes between southern and northern  Europe. 

The Rhone-Alpes Region is one of the most fascinating regions of Europe.  It is a capital of fine cuisine, with one of the highest concentrations of world class restaurants, not to mention  80 cheeses and 40 “grands crus”.  Touring in the Rhone-Alpes Region is an adventure in sightseeing, wine-tasting, and the antiquity of a region that has had a prominent role in European history since Roman times.  A bonus is the region’s proximity to the sea. The region is only a few hours drive from Geneva, Turin and the Mediterranean -  ideal weekend getaways.

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Historically a major European center for science and technology, this region does exceptionally well at integrating education, research and industry. Major areas include bioscience, renewable energy, nanotechnology and information and communications technology.

From a general standpoint, education and research in nanotechnology and renewable energy are centered in the Grenoble region.  Bioscience, especially human and animal infectious disease, molecular biology, virology, bioinformatics, cancer, neuroscience, and medical devices, is centered in the Lyon region.

Both cities also have important clusters in the computing industry, with Lyon specializing in video games and management software, and Grenoble dealing more in industrial software, as well as scientific modeling and critical applications.
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Home for Expatriates

Essential to expatriate family living is the availability of excellent international schools. As a result of the numerous top executive and scientific expatriates in the region, international families on the move benefit from the services of many specialized relocation agencies, helping them with the dreaded (but finally perfectly manageable)“red tape” formalities, as well as finding a suitable house or an English speaking doctor.

Surprising to many expatriates will be the extent to which the French speak English.  English is the international language of business and students have, for the past few decades, been making English a priority as their second language.

Public transportation is highly developed in the Rhone-Alpes Region.  Lyon has a state-of-the-art metro system and, along with Grenoble, a modern system of tramways.

While there are no direct flights from Denver to Lyon, there are several options which provide convenient travel. There are one-stop flights to Paris and upon arrival, there is a TGV station at the airport which whisks you to Lyon in only two hours.  Another option is Denver to Frankfurt and a connecting flight to Lyon.  Finally, Delta has launched a direct flight to Lyon from JFK.
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