An essential destination
Sectors of excellence
Attractive markets
As the foremost economic hub of the Grand Ouest region, the Nantes Saint-Nazaire area benefits from a well balanced economic fabric where service and manufacturing industries operate side by side.
Manufacturing
The Nantes Saint-Nazaire industrial ecosystem is at the cutting edge of shipbuilding (No1 in France), aeronautics, (No2 for civil aviation construction), renewable marine energies (No1 French hub). The area is geared strongly towards innovative and eco-responsible models of organisation and production.
Digital Tech
Nantes, which holds the French Tech label, sets the standard for the digital industry in France, with special expertise in Proptech, Tech4Good and FoodTech. The city generates more digital jobs than anywhere else in France, hosts 500 events per year (Web2Day, DevFest, Nantes Digital Week, Digital Change, Maker Fair, etc.) and enjoys a thriving ecosystem for startups (with more than 250).
Healthcare
Nantes is a prominent centre for higher education and research, with 2,000 academic researchers, 20 technological platforms in the life sciences, leading research teams (Nantes university hospital, University of Nantes, the Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest, INSERM, CNRS, INRA, Oniris, etc.). These facilities help put Nantes among the leading areas for healthcare, with significant expertise in biotech pharma, e-healthcare and food health.
Cultural and creative industries
With a network of operators who are active in the creative sector (including Creative Factory, Images et Réseaux, Atlangames, Ouest Media Lab, etc.), a purpose-built venue (the Halles Alstom in the creative quarter), higher education establishments (École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture, Ecole de design, graphic arts hub, École supérieure des Beaux-Arts, etc.), Nantes is a hotbed of cultural and creative activities, boasting excellence in design and imaging.
Agro-food
The Nantes Saint-Nazaire region has one of the nation's top research centres on food and nutrition. It hosts a large number of renowned agri-food companies and has the leading port in France for the sector.
Tourisme d'affaires
Nantes et Saint-Nazaire s’imposent comme des destinations montantes pour le tourisme d’affaires en France grâce à leur écosystème engagé. Grâce à une bonne accessibilité, une créativité reconnue et des sites insolites, ces villes offrent un cadre idéal pour accueillir séminaires, congrès et salons. Soutenue par un Bureau des Congrès qui fédère plus de 100 acteurs publics et privés, cette filière se fédère pour relever les enjeux environnementaux et sociétaux de demain.
