Bordering Switzerland, the Franche-Comté region is connected to the major European markets and is situated strategically between the Rhône and Rhine rivers. Close to Germany and Italy, and offering a well established transportation route from Northern Europe to the Rhône Valley, the Franche-Comté region is only 2 ½ hours from Paris by high-speed TGV rail and 2 hours from Lyon and Strasbourg by road. It is accessible from Bâle-Mulhouse, Lyon St. Exupéry and Geneva airports.

Franche-Comté is France’s leading industrial region for added value and jobs. Known for its manpower in the automotive and metal industry, the Franche-Comté region adapts to the economic and technology challenges of evolving markets.

It has also become France’s leading region for micro-technology expertise, and is France’s leading region for the manufacturing of clocks, eyewear and toys. With a culture of all things “small and precise,” founded on the clock industry, Franche-Comté is internationally recognized for its expertise in this field, which attracts high-tech companies.

Franche-Comté boasts qualified manpower levels that are higher than the national average. The large array of innovative educational courses available in the area ensures that companies are able to locally source qualified personnel. The dedicated and motivated workforce in the Franche-Comté region is an advantage appreciated by the business community.

The Franche-Comté region has 4 clusters: Microtechniques, Vehicles of the Future (automotive, transportation and mobility), Plastipolis (plastics) and Vitagora (agro-food). Some 88% of total R&D expenditure is dedicated to medium and high technologies. The Franche-Comté region has a large university community with 29,000 students, and the FC Lab – Fuel Cell Laboratory, a tripartite collaboration between universities, industry and organizations, created in 2000 and dedicated to fuel cells. The FC Lab also relies on the active participation of seven industrial groups (General Electric Energy Products France, Air Liquide, Renault, Faurecia Systèmes d’Echappements, Gaz de France, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Delphi Automotive).

The Franche-Comté region is traditionally a land of invention and innovation, and has many national and international leaders in markets that are highly specific and diverse. As well as a dense fabric of small and medium sized businesses, the region also has many major national and international groups such as PSA Peugeot Citroën, Faurecia, Alstom, Solvay, and ITT Cannon. PSA and Faurecia also have European research centers in the region.