Founded as a Roman battlefront, Lyon is now a part of UNESCO World Heritage and arguably one of the best cities in France. Its location makes it a perfect destination for work and leisure. The French city is now considered as the best alternative to Paris. Lyon is a city of innovation, it follows a true Smart City strategy to combine economic performance and continual development. Biotech, metallurgy, textile, IT and banking create economic diversity and contribute to regional budgets. In 2018 the office market of Lyon hit the historical record of 331 700 m². Commercial real estate market has reached a massive number of 1.5 billion euros investment. The urban motto of Lyon says “Live, Work and Play” thanks to which the city continues to attract newcomers, especially youth. And because of various educational programs the city hosts over 300.000 students. This heavily contributes to the recruitment scene, making workforce cheaper and easier to find. This fact combined with affordable living costs (30% lower than in Paris) gives grounds to the growth of Lyon’s startup market. It’s also one of the most dynamic cities in Europe with exceptional transportation system. The city is in less than 2 hours away from major business destinations in Europe and Lyon-Saint Exupéry airport provides flights to more than 100 destinations. So if you are looking for a place in France to start a new venture - Lyon is a great place to consider.
