Saint-Étienne Métropole offers lots of opportunities for setting up and expanding businesses, just 40 minutes southwest of Lyon. There are plenty of advantages to choosing this pleasantly unspoilt, dynamic city, ranking in the top 15 French metropolitan areas in terms of population.
In summary
- Key figures
- Access and connections
- Ecosystem
- Sectors of excellence
- Companies
- Territory map
- The 53 municipalities
- Your referent contact
Key figures
- 53 municipalities
- 407,000 inhabitants
- 2nd largest urban area in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
- 31,550 companies
- 30,000 students
- 4th best city to live in France according to the Express ranking (2020)
- 1st self-service electric bicycle network in France (Vélivert)
(Sources: www.saint-etienne-attractivite.fr and www.saint-etienne-metropole.fr)
An entrepreneur-friendly place, rich with talent
Access and connections
- Motorway access (A72 and A47)
- Direct high-speed train to Paris in 2 hours 45 minutes
- Express trains to Saint-Étienne and Lyon in under 50 minutes
- 2 airports: Saint-Étienne and Lyon-Saint Exupéry
An innovation-friendly ecosystem
- FrenchTech capital label in 2019, in partnership with the Metropole de Lyon (French Tech One Lyon Saint-Étienne), a benchmark in France's startup ecosystem
- 1st and only French city to join the UNESCO network of Creative Cities of Design
- 15 top national schools (Mines Saint-Etienne, ENISE, Université Jean-Monnet, Télécom Saint-Etienne, Institut d'Optique Graduate School, Esadse)
- Quatrium, the acceleration platform for Industry 4.0
- The Campus Santé Innovation, a unique site in France (15 laboratories)
- 1 innovation cluster, Novéka
- 500 entrepreneurs supported by Saint-Étienne Métropole in setting up their businesses
Areas of excellence that boost the local area’s vitality
- New manufacturing: additive manufacturing, surface treatment engineering, hybrid processes, photonics, robotics, optics, machining processes,
- New Medtechs: medical devices, diagnostics, e-health,
- New Design: usage at the heart of product, space and digital experience design.
Growing business areas
- Social and Solidarity Economy (19% of private employment),
- Digital: 750 companies, including 300 pure players.
These companies chose Saint-Étienne Métropole
- Arcelor Mittal
- AxleTech International
- BioSpeedia
- Clextral
- Despi
- Dessintey
- Focal
- Gibaud
- Groupe Zannier
- Haulotte
- Hef Groupe
- Keranova
- Med In Town
- PrediSurge
- Sam Outillage
- Setforge
- Siléane
- Sigvaris
- SNF Floerger
- Thales Angieux
- Thuasne
- Weiss
Map of Saint-Étienne Métropole
The 53 municipalities of Saint-Étienne Métropole
- Aboën
- Andrézieux-Bouthéon
- Caloire
- Cellieu
- Chagnon
- Chambœuf
- Châteauneuf
- Dargoire
- Doizieux
- Farnay
- Firminy
- Fontanès
- Fraisses
- Genilac
- La Fouillouse
- La Gimond
- La Grand'Croix
- La Ricamarie
- La Talaudière
- La Terrasse sur Dorlay
- La Tour-en-Jarez
- La Valla-en-Gier
- Le Chambon-Feugerolles
- L'Etrat
- L'Horme
- Lorette
- Marcenod
- Pavezin
- Rive-de-Gier
- Roche-la-Molière
- Rozier-Côtes-d'Aurec
- Saint-Bonnet-les-Oules
- Saint-Chamond
- Saint-Christo-en-Jarez
- Sainte-Croix-en-Jarez
- Saint-Étienne
- Saint-Galmier
- Saint-Genest-Lerpt
- Saint-Héand
- Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds
- Saint-Joseph
- Saint-Martin-la-Plaine
- Saint-Maurice-en-Gourgois
- Saint-Nizier-de-Fornas
- Saint-Paul-en-en-Cornillon
- Saint-Paul-en-Jarez
- Saint-Priest-en-Jarez
- Saint-Romain-en-Jarez
- Sorbiers
- Tartaras
- Unieux
- Valfleury
- Villars
Discover Saint-Etienne Métropole on video!
Your dedicated specialist
Set up & territories team manager
ONLYLYON Invest
Set up & territories team manager
ONLYLYON Invest
Sébastien Brasier spent the first part of his career working in project management consulting for key accounts (Airbus, Renault Trucks, International…