Business openings: an outstanding year 2015!

The economic attractiveness of the Nantes Saint-Nazaire metro area continues to grow. In 2015, business openings increased 10% over the previous year. The economic development agency Nantes Saint-Nazaire Développement posted its best score yet, with 98 new businesses supported in 2015, compared to 91 in 2014 and 2013. This is particularly encouraging given that the economic situation nationwide has remained stable.

High added value jobs created

As a result, job creation is also on an upward trend, with 1,130 jobs created versus 1,041 in 2014. Mutual insurance company MGEN topped the charts with the creation of 140 jobs for its new customer service centre in Nantes. There was also an increase in high added value job creations. For instance, industrial engineering firm Maser Engineering in Saint-Nazaire will be creating more than 100 jobs. Similarly, Blackpepper shipyards and management software company Lucca each expect to create a dozen new jobs in Nantes.

Cultural and creative industries experience rapid growth

More than half of the business openings are concentrated in three areas of excellence: digital tech, creative and cultural industries (CCIs) and manufacturing. The emergence of Nantes as a tech hub is illustrated by the arrival of companies like LaFourchette, SmartMyData and Norsys. Leader in online restaurant bookings, LaFourchette chose to locate its R&D centre in Nantes. The boom in CCIs is also confirmed with the arrival of transmedia studio Termites Factory, design agency Pierre et Maurice and music label Yotanka. In manufacturing, German machine-tool manufacturer Deprag, Maser Engineering and Sherpa Engineering reflect the strong industrial base. "Projects involving the Jules Verne Manufacturing Valley and the concept of the factory of the future, the EMC 2 and ID4CAR clusters and the presence of a strong aerospace industry are growth vectors for us," says Karel Pichard, Director of Deprag France.