Sectors of excellence

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.