Historically, the area has been known as a hub for producing blades, metallurgy, coal mining, machine industries, but also famous for the textile industry which later transformed into medical textile. The second half of the 20th century was a difficult time for the economy of the region due to the demographic and financial decline. The implementation of the new projects aimed to urbanize the area made the economy revive in the 1970s. Nowadays the metropolis is famous for innovations in textile techniques, nanotechnologies, and a vast array of services to support the local and foreign business owners. Very often, you may hear that Etienne is a city of design. It has even got a UNESCO reward for its pro-working and living conditions. A project Cité du Design gathered EUR64 million of investments, the contribution of the metropolis to the budget equals 76,2%. The design has become a crucial point for the local authorities, and the development organization and the critical point is to create a territory, designed to meet modern demand for high-quality living standards.