Vichy Communauté Economic Panorama - 2017/18...Vichy Communauté Economic Panorama - 2017/18 Vichy...

Vichy Communauté Economic Panorama - 2017/18

Vichy Communauté Développement – July 2017 Page /1

www.vichy-economie.com

Defining your territory

On 1 January this year Vichy Communauté was born from the natural fusion of Vichy Val d’Allier and the Community of Communes of the Montagne Bourbonnaise. Natural because of the common history which links our destiny, symbolised in the past by the famous old train which went from Cusset to Laprugne. Natural also because of the strong and complementary links and bonds between the plane of Val d’Allier and the hills of the Montagne Bourbonnaise. In Town, people living in the rural communes can take advantage of the public services they need, as well as a direct access to culture, shops open 7 days a week, and a market where they can sell their produce. In the countryside of the Montagne Bourbonnaise, the town dwellers benefit from a natural and preserved environment, large open spaces where they can go walking, and an ideal territory for outdoor sports and winter sports. Coherent and more complementary, our conurbation is now stronger to confront the challenges of tomorrow and reinforce its advantages as part of the vast new Region Auvergne-Rhône Alpes, the second largest Region in France and the sixth largest in Europe. From now on we can take our principle development projects to a new level, whether they involve our economy, higher education, or tourism. One of the main projects concerns the plan for our conurbation stretching out to 2025, which, having been updated, will create and develop a new identity around the values of sport, health and the preservation of quality of life. We will also remain aware of the need to accompany the expansion of the businesses in our territory, as they are the major creators of growth, wealth and employment. To achieve these goals, we will need all our energy. However, I know I can count on the full support of the partners of Vichy Communauté and the business leaders and company managers in our territory. Claude Malhuret: Mayor of Vichy President of the Community of Local Communes of Vichy Communauté Senator of the Allier Department

Vichy Communauté: a territory that is coherent

http://www.vichy-economie.com/




After months of discussions between local elected politicians and local authority services to create a new entity which is naturally and economically balanced and stable, the new Community of Local Communes Vichy Communauté was created on 1 January 2017. Its main objective is by 2025, to put in place an ambitious territorial project, but with a conurbation remaining on a human scale. Vichy Communauté is the largest conurbation in the Department (County) of the Allier in terms of population, with a territory now stretching from Billy in the north to Lavoine in the south, Saint-Nicolas-des Biefs in the east and Cognat-Lyonne in the west. With a land area of only 5.9 km

2 Vichy is the smallest

commune in the conurbation, however, its 25,800 inhabitants make it the town with the largest population. In these privileged surroundings, urban and rural environments cultivate their common past to better pursue their future together.

Major development projects The 2nd section of the urban boulevard is in the completion stage with the last 800 metres being opened to traffic in June this year. The roadworks will be completed by the end of the year, once the final street furniture is in place and vegetation planted. Named 'Avenue de la Liberté', the 1st section

of the urban boulevard in the Vichy conurbation was opened at the end

of 2013, linking the Vichy Hospital Centre with the Cité scolaire Albert-Londres Campus in Cusset. The south-west section of the ring-road from Saint-Yorre to the roundabout on the A719 was opened to traffic at the beginning of 2016. The northern section, financed by the State, still has to be finalise and approved. The Region has agreed to finance €2.4m of the €8m needed to cover preliminary studies and the acquisition of the land involved. The final details of the project for the north-west Section of the ring road are in the process of being elaborated and the Public Enquiry could be opened by the end of 2019. It should take a year for the Enquiry to make its decision after which the works can commence. The creation of a direct connection to the 'Pont de l’Europe' will not only improve the road link to the Montpertuis industrial site, but also improve access to Vichy's town centre. The areas which presently suffer from the traffic will see their inconveniences reduced as the east of the urban centre will be directly accessible via the 'Avenue de la Liberté'. In 2014 the transformation of the banks of the river on the Vichy side of the Allier was completed and continues to be a popular success. The project for the development for the Bellerive side is now taking shape. As an important part of the 2015-2025 territorial project for the Vichy conurbation, this improvement to the banks of the River Allier, financed by Vichy Communauté, will be similar to that already completed on the right bank. As part of the regional green path to discover the river Allier, the project involves the three meanders of the river at Abrest, Hauterive and Bellerive. It concerns three kilometres of river bank on the left bank, from the camp sites at Abrest to the Bellerive bridge, and will integrate the different cafés and restaurants along the way. In the future the development should become a major tourist centre with leisure activities including the old swimming baths which will be renovated, the Carré d’As shopping centre, and linking the river to the centre of Bellerive with pedestrian areas and cycle paths. The first phase of the work should start in the autumn of 2018.

A town centre for shopping Shops and shopping have always been important activities in the conurbation, and Vichy's status as a spa town allows the town's shops to be open on Sunday afternoons. Since the end of the 19th century, Vichy's town centre has attracted a substantial number of customers from all over the region and even further, from the Saône et Loire, Loire, Nièvre Departments. The works undertaken by the town have renovated the main shopping areas in the centre of Vichy ('rue Clémenceau', 'place de la gare' [station] and 'rue de Paris' in 2011, the square in front of the Church of Saint-Louis and the adjacent streets in 2013, the 'passage de l’Amirauté' in 2014, etc.). During the period from September 2015 to July 2016 it was the turn of the pavements, road surface and street lighting in the 'rue du Maréchal Foch' to benefit from the same treatment of a makeover. The old part of Vichy the 'Vieux Vichy' is now better integrated into the heart of the shopping area of the spa town. At the end of 2017, the 'rue Wilson' which is particularly popular with people taking the spa waters, will also undergo a renewal.

Development project for the river banks in Bellerive





Innovative companies in leading-edge sectors Vichy Communauté is the second largest conurbation in the Auvergne in terms of population size and activities, with, among others, industrial skills in plastics processing (CTL Packaging), metal working (Valmont the market leader for street lamps), automobile production (Ligier, the world leader in no-licence vehicles), and agro-foodstuffs (Arrivé Auvergne, Convivial). Without forgetting luxury leather goods (Fleurus Group, Sofama) and the Saint-Yorre and Vichy-Célestins mineral waters.

The NSE group, whose registered office is in Nizerolles, is one of the top industrial businesses which the Montagne Bourbonnaise has brought to Vichy Communauté. François Lacoste who created the group in 1983, has proved that you can be successful outside of France and still choose to be based in a rural zone NSE specialises in the design, production and maintenance of electronic equipment. The group has ten sites in France, five of which are in the Auvergne at Nizerolles, Abrest, Aulnat, Riom and Varennes-sur-Allier. They now employ around 500 people in France with another 300 working in their five international subsidiaries in Hungary, Canada, Brazil, Morocco and India, which represent 36% of total sales. NSE principally works with the civil aeronautics, defence, industry, railways and

computer sectors. Guillaume Laurin took over from François Lacoste as Chairman of the Board in February 2017, with the ambition of increasing the company's Turnover, which stood at €62.7M in 2016, by developing the group's service sector, particularly on the international market.

272: is the number of illuminated columns delivered by Valmont to Qatar in 2016. This

manufacturer, whose luminous masts colour the banks of the Allier in Vichy, was chosen to provide street lighting for the eight kilometres of motorway serving Doha's new international airport. Valmont France's factory based in Charmeil specialises in the production of metal masts for urban street lighting, signage, telecommunications and energy transportation. These custom made products permit the company to remain competitive.

€1.8M, is the total sales figure targeted by the company ACM, run by Richard Silvestre since 2014. « In the

Allier there are numerous SMEs with substantial development potential waiting to be acquired by new shareholders. It's worth taking the risk! » This forty-year old entrepreneur has kept the 12 employees at the

Atelier Chastang Mécanique, specialising in the manufacture and renovation of machines for the leather goods industry: in fact, the team was increased by four people. A patent for a leather dyeing machine has been

registered in France and Italy and is pending in Spain and Portugal where ACM intends to develop its reputation.

160: is the number of new jobs targeted to be created by the company Percall at its

site in Vichy between 2016 and 2018. Since its Product Lifecycle Management centre opened in Vichy in 2006, the Lyon based company has trained and hired 40 people, working in collaboration with the local Job Centre (Pôle Emploi). Its activity concerns customers involved in leading edge sectors such as aeronautics, car manufacturing, defence etc. With the development of the "intelligent factory" connected products take on new functions and the demand from business continues to grow. PLM represents a transverse management tool to cope with this situation.

120, is the number of works

generated from the meetings of authors and illustrators via the

platform Whisperies, a start-up co-founded in 2014 by Adeline Fradet, originally from the Paris region, who decided to settle in Vichy to develop her project. « The region is a good place to be an entrepreneur. Here we found people who really invest their time and energy into their territory and this dynamism is very communicative. » Destined to provide children's stories, this collaborative website of digital books has recently obtained private funding to develop its commercial activity, increasing staff from three to eight people to increase its market in France and develop international business.

Adeline Fradet (red trousers) and Richard Silvestre (in the pale suit in the centre) were included in the list of businesses rewarded at the 2017 Trophies for Commercial Performance Awards organised by the DCF (French Commercial Managers Network)





340, is the number of people employed in its production site in the Vichy-Rhue industrial zone by

Cosmétique Active Production (L’Oreal), producing mostly Vichy cosmetics. A further forty or so employees work at their distribution centre at Creuzier-le-Neuf, delivering their products to over

40 countries.

Economic synergies, sharing resources After the Agency Vichy Communauté Développement, the

conurbation's economic development agency, in May 2016, it is now the turn of the Chambre des Métiers (Trade Guild Chamber) and the Chambre d’Agriculture (Chamber of Agriculture), to move to new premises in Vichy at the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie, 5-15 rue Montaret. This « business » centre provides a clearer focus of the support for business and entrepreneurs, and a natural synergy for the institutions involved, all working to develop the territory. A one-stop-shop business information and advice service for business managers and project promoters. Furthermore, a whole range of training courses are available on-site including: IEQT - the European Institute for Total Quality Management; the Centre de formation hôtelière - Hotel Personnel Training Centre; the Centre d’étude de langues - Language School; the Académie du PLM - Product Lifecycle Management centre. The site also hosts a Centre inter-professionnel de bilan de compétences (CIBC) – Inter-professional personal skills assessment centre.

Even though it is several thousand years old, Vichy's vocation as a spa centre continues to develop. Today it is a pioneer in terms of health and prevention. Presided by Jérôme Phelipeau (PDG/CEO of the Compagnie de Vichy), the aim of this innovative Cluster of Excellence is to promote joint, collaborative projects between SMES, Micro Companies and private and public research institutions, such as universities, laboratories, hospital services etc. : Nutrition, beauty care, as well as geothermal and renewable energy, without forgetting tourism concentrating on « Fitness and Well-being » « that is where there are many activities which are susceptible to increase the performance of our businesses, and there is no shortage of innovative projects! We need to concentrate on leading-edge indications and information, creating new products and new processes based on spa water properties which have been scientifically validated. »

Although the number of people sent by the social security to take the spa waters (curistes) has increased by 4.4% last season (8,259 people), the increase is 20.9%, being 20,398 people, for private stays and seminars under the « Santé-Beauté-Forme / Health-Beauty-Fitness » programmes. The international reputation of Vichy, still the queen of the spa towns, never ceases to grow. The town is one of the eleven « Major European Spa Towns » which together are presenting their candidature to be UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Their candidature will be presented in January 2018, with the verdict expected during the summer in 2019. The American magazine Forbes has already placed Vichy at the top of the list of well-known spa towns, and in April 2017 stated that the Vichy Célestins Spa Hôtel was « one of the most attractive addresses in the world ».





A territory which is good for your body and good for your mind and spirit!

Encouraged by its expertise in the areas of Health-Beauty-Fitness, in 1993 the conurbation created a specialised enterprise park, the Bioparc Vichy-Hauterive. Built in the commune of Hauterive on 13 hectares of land provided with all the necessary services, the Bioparc has a further forty hectares of land for future growth. Fifteen companies are already active on-site. During summer 2017 JCE Biotechnology (medical equipment) completed a 2,300m² building in support of its development on the site. The Toulouse based company Genibio, specialising in probiotics, has recently taken over the control and analysis activities that the company Setubio previously undertook at the Bioparc. Genibio now benefits from the know-how of the existing laboratory on-site to stabilise the products it has reduced to powder, whereas, Setubio has joined the Naturopôle at Saint-Bonnet de Rochefort, to concentrate on

research in active pharmaceutical ingredients derived from local biodiversity. (www.bioparc.com) For over twenty years the Bioparc Vichy-Hauterive has acted as the shop-window of the industrial and service sector of the Health-Beauty-Fitness and Biomedical sectors in the conurbation. Always capable of evolving in line with the innovative companies and projects it supports, the Bioparc is part of the Arbios network alongside the Naturopôle Nutrition Santé and the Biopôle Clermont-Limagne. Representing 70 companies, 1,700 jobs, with 25,000 m

2 of well-equipped rental

premises, this network of three enterprise parks entirely dedicated to hosting and supporting the development of the bio-industry, is located in an ecosystem recognised for its excellence in terms of health and agriculture. (www.arbios.org) Fitness care treatments are subject to strong demand across the country, particularly as the population gets older and life expectancy gets longer. The need for physiotherapists has, therefore, increased. It is in this context that the foundation stone was laid on 12 May 2017 of the new Institut de Formation de Masso-Kinésithérapie (IFMK)-Physiotherapy School, as part of the renovation and development of the 'Docks de Blois' area in Vichy. Private developers are investing €15 million to rehabilitate this 14 hectare abandoned industrial site. In September 2018 the site will be able to welcome 400 students, instead of the 230 at the present school, as well as an intergenerational residence and a shopping centre. The 'Docks de Blois' area is also not too far away from the Lardy University Centre. Vichy Communauté is one of the rare conurbations having chosen to be responsible for higher education in its territory, including the 5 faculties with 11 courses (from Baccalaureate +1 to Bac +5) run by Clermont Auvergne University. Each year more than 700 students benefit from the privileged site of the Campus Albert Londres Academic and Technology Centre in Vichy in the parks bordering the Allier river. They share the site with Shared Health Studies First Year (PACES) students in medicine, dentistry and midwifery, as well as international students at the Cavilam-Alliance Française language school.

International reputation: The CAVILAM has been teaching French to non-French students for over 50 years. More than 130,000 students from more than 140 countries have enrolled in a course with 60% boarding with families in Vichy. The establishment joined the international network of 'Alliances Françaises' in 2012. Today in France the Cavilam is one of the most important centres for teaching French to foreign students, and is one of the top ten such institutions in the world. Each year nearly 4,000 people, whether students, French

teachers, or professionals sent by their companies, come to Vichy.

The Vichy Célestins Spa Hotel


http://www.bioparc.com/

http://www.arbios.org/




The presence of the CAVILAM-Alliance Française has encouraged Vichy Communauté to respond to a call for tender from the Region in September 2016. « The dynamic of Francophone Synergies constitutes a formidable occasion to explore the possibility of an approach which combines speaking French and economics. » Assistant General Manager of the Social Life and University Centre, Isabelle Terrasse endeavours to « put the spotlight on the dynamic forces in the territory through public and private initiatives using Francophonie as a lever. As a small player in the sector, Vichy wants to bring together the Universities of Clermont-Auvergne and Lyon 3 (Cf. The International Institute of Francophonie-2IF) around this thematic. At the meeting on 3 October 2017, Vichy Communauté, supported by the Development Agency, intend to prove, using examples, that the Francophonie presents an opportunity for our territories and could be a market driver for economic development. »

Because tourism also includes business, the Vichy DestiNations brand launched in 2012 by the Tourist Office (TO) to promote the town, is now targeting the business market. The

6th edition of its free magazine came out in June 2017 in its usual general public version (70,000 copies), but this time it came with a version reserved for business

professionals, Vichy DestiNations Business (15,000 copies). A website dedicated to congresses will be online at the beginning of 2018. Since July the TO offers visitors special glasses to enter two emblematic sites in the spa town, the Palais des congrès and the Opera. The 360° views are to encourage visitors to prolong their digital discoveries by visiting the real thing! Vichy organises around 360

events linked to tourism each year, and as such is one of the top destinations in terms of congresses and other professional seminars. On average, Vichy Opera House is more than 80% full for each performance. Each year they propose « a programme which is both demanding and eclectic split into two seasons, with more music in the summer and more theatre in the winter. Diane Polya-Zeitline has been the Artistic Director at the Opera since 1990, and will leave at the end of 2017. « The Vichy Opera House will continue with a splendid future, supported by a team of fifteen employees. » Other than the participants in the performances (artists, technicians, dressers, etc.), who generate on average each year 1,500 overnight stays, more and more spectators are coming from outside of Vichy using a short stay « package » adapted to cultural tourism and organised by thy TO with ten hotels offering special rates for certain performances. You can also take advantage of the Opera Weekends organised by the Vichy Thermal Spa Hotel, and combine pleasures of the body with pleasures of the mind and spirit. Visitors continue to come in large numbers to the conurbation, whether for work or for pleasure. They are attracted by popular events and other festivities, such as the Les Flamboyantes mediaeval festival which has been held in Cusset for the last three years; or Impérial Park which in April 2017 held its 10th edition celebrating Napoleon III in Vichy; or Portrait(s) which for the last 5 years has exhibited photo-portraits in the open air along the River Allier and in other parts of Vichy from June to September.

The PAL is the number one tourist attraction in the Auvergne, and the 4th in the new Region, with 391,000 visitors in 2016. The theme park has a steady growth of 3.3% in entrance numbers each year, which is a confirmation of its dynamism. Located at Dompierre-sur-Besbre (03), the PAL opened its new Alligator Park in 2017. The construction of Yukon Quad, a one-kilometre-long

roller-coaster began during the summer in 2017. This attraction is the largest investment the park has made since its creation in 1973. To relieve congestion in certain areas it is being built in the zoo side of the

park. Since 2013 the PAL has provided accommodation with 31 lodges on stilts. For 2019 they intend to increase their capacity with a new hotel based on the concept of a « camp in the heart of the savannah ».





A sports economy platform which is practically Olympic... In Vichy Communauté, the privileged living environment and the attention paid to one's health, is enhanced by keeping in shape through the practice of a sport. The inhabitants, as well as sports men and women from all levels who come to Vichy to continue or perfect their training or participate in events organised by the town, benefit from the sports equipment and installations provided which cover 26 of the 28 Summer Olympic Sports. Today Vichy is recognised as one of the most important sports destinations in France. Given the existing sports infrastructures available, and the capacity for accommodation, the conurbation wants to make sport a catalyst for developing tourism and the local economy, taking advantage of the synergies with the existing activities involved in « Health-Beauty-Fitness » and thermalism. Whether it is the French Rowing Championships (youth and veteran), the French Masters Swimming Open championships, or an episode of the Ironman Tour, all these major sporting events attract large numbers of spectators. All sporting activities combined generate around €50 million of gross income. Furthermore, the Montagne Bourbonnaise is an excellent destination for outdoor recreational sports. The sports economy centre which is in the process of being put together, will work in tandem with the CREPS Vichy Auvergne Sports Resources, Expertise and Performance Centre, whose campus hosts internships and courses (32,270 overnight stays in 2016). The CREPS Vichy Auvergne prepares more than 700 students each year for the Diploma of Sports Teacher. Next door is the Omnisports Centre 120 hectare sports park along the Allier river. The CREPS is also a centre for handi-sports and health through physical activity, and, since 2016 is home to the Sport-Health-Well-being national resources centre. The compact nature of this global sports centre in the heart of the conurbation on the left bank of the Allier River, is such that within a radius of 1.5km are the CREPS, the Omnisports Centre, the Swimming Stadium, a Racecourse with 300 meetings each year, and an 18-hole golf course and tennis club. Making a centre for sporting activities which is as coherent as it is attractive. « This is a major project for the Vichy Communauté conurbation, aiming for a high national ranking as a centre of sporting excellence and good health. This project should reinforce the conurbation's visibility within the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, which is the largest in terms of sports clubs and sports equipment, with 2 million active sports licence-holders. Obviously the economic potential of the project is very important for our conurbation. » Jean-Sébastien Laloy is the conurbation's Vice President in charge of sport. He sees this project as an « opportunity to renovate the Omnisports Centre, where certain sports installations have become obsolete and need modernising to current standards, as well as investing in specialised equipment corresponding to new requirements, in total at an estimated cost of €29 million. » Vichy Communauté has allocated 19.05% of its 2017 budget to sport. The

study and analysis of the conurbation's existing sports facilities and future strategic positioning, presented in March, reinforces the attractiveness of creating a Sports Performance Centre which would cater for amateurs as well as elite sports men and women, as both categories are interested in improving their performance and benefiting from specialised tools

to achieve their individual objectives. The Centre could be based within the CREPS structure. This project is a natural progression of the « Health-Beauty-Fitness» and thermal spa vocation of the territory. A budget of €40 million should be made available for investments, including the eventual conversion of the old swimming pool in Bellerive, and the creation and establishment of complementary activities around the Darragon Sports Stadium. A Sports Activity Zone will be registered in the statutes of the conurbation. The operational phase should begin in 2018 and end in 2025.

The IRONMAN attracts 15,000 spectators and participants from 48 countries.

The Omnisports Centre covers 120 ha





Sharing resources In conformance with the NOTRe Law (Nouvelle Organisation Territoriale de la République-New Territorial Organisation of the Republic) which attributes the competence for « tourism » to associations of urban districts, on 1 April 2017 the Tourist Offices at Billy, Cusset and the Montagne Bourbonnaise merged into an Inter-Municipality Tourist Office (ITO). In essence the offices and their opening times will not change and will continue to operate normally in their communes. The specific status of the Tourist and Thermalism Office in Vichy and its particular missions will be redefined prior to it joining the ITO in 2018. The Vichy Communauté Artistic Conservatory was created on 1 January 2017 after the merger of the music schools in Bellerive-sur-Allier, Cusset, Saint-Yorre and Vichy. With nearly 1,200 students being taught by around fifty teachers and covering 30 different instruments, this new multi-site conservatory will keep its existing locations in Saint-Yorre and Bellerive-sur-Allier. The sites in Vichy and Cusset should be grouped together at the end of 2019 in a building located on the urban boulevard which is being converted for the purpose.

In December 2016 the Pôle emploi Job Centres in Vichy and Cusset merged and changed address to '650 Avenue de la Liberté' in Vichy. The new agency provides a service to accompany job seekers which is better adapted to both their needs and the needs of potential employers.

A Metropolis in the West to balance out the Region Clermont Communauté became the metropolis Clermont Auvergne Métropole when it changed into an urban community of local communes on 1 January 2017. When it officially obtains the status of a metropolis, it will join the other 15 metropolises already existing in France. The 21 communes which make up the conurbation have already transferred certain of their responsibilities, which are now undertaken by Clermont Auvergne Métropole. The metropolis in Lyon, which is the driving force in the new organisation, relies on two conurbations to balance out the region: in the West the capital of the Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, and in the east the capital of the Dauphiné, Grenoble. In this context the Clermont conurbation has a major role to play and must ensure its development at the heart of the new regional dynamic. With a redefined status and clear responsibilities (Cf. the MAPTAM Law) in advance of the NOTRe Law, the metropolis

1

prefers a strategic approach for the territories. Getting involved with international promotion by virtue of its optimised visibility, the metropolis is in a better position to efficiently work in favour of economic development and innovation. This increased role of the ex-capital of the region of the Auvergne is accompanied by a necessary strengthening of its mission to be the driving force for the territories in the metropolis in the western part of the Region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, represented by the Clermont-Vichy-Auvergne metropolitan centre. Created in 2013 the centre brings together ten associations of urban districts between Vichy and Brioude, including the 3 initiators of metropolitan cooperation: Clermont Auvergne Métropole, Riom-Communauté and Vichy-Communauté. The metropolitan centre is a place for dialogue and exchanging ideas between associations of urban districts. It must, therefore, be taken into account in the contract of metropolitan cooperation between the institutional metropolis of Clermont Auvergne Métropole and the territories around it. It could then serve as a base for reflection on an eventual enlargement of the institutional metropolis which will be discussed during the next elected term starting in 2020.

1 Metropolises are made up of conurbations with populations greater than 400,000.





The Allier, a local tier of government which remains a facilitator

343,062 inhabitants / covering 7,340.1 km² / 130,000 people in employment / 4,500 students The Allier can boast having several strong economic sectors across the whole of the territory, made up of 15,500 businesses (commercial activities not including agriculture) and three complementary urban centres, being Vichy, Moulns and Montluçon. A few representative companies: Bosch, Sagem (electronics and communications), Dunlop, Socopa viandes (meat products), PSA Peugeot Citroën, Satel (telemarketing), NSE, Ateliers Louis Vuitton, CAP-L’Oréal, Wavin (plastic pipes), CTL Packaging, …

Sectors of excellence in key figures

The Department is still responsible for organising social assistance, personal autonomy and territorial solidarity. The Departmental Council (county council) still retains the possibility of financing certain projects for communes or groups of communes, and elaborates jointly with central government a departmental development programme to improve access to services, particularly in those areas where it is poor, for example in rural areas. In terms of major projects, the RCEA-Route Centre-Europe Atlantique, which cuts across the Allier for 92 kilometres, was the subject of a public interest decree on 27 April 2017 giving it the status of a motorway/autoroute, which allows it to be totally 2x2 lanes. This change is programmed for 2021.

Putting Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on the podium of European Regions

7.8 million inhabitants / covering 70,700 km² / 3.2 million people in employment / 300,000 students At the end of 2016 the regional elected government adopted the regional economic development, innovation and internationalisation plan (SRDEII). Its aim is for the region to assert itself as a major force in Europe. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes is already in a good position in France with GDP at €243 billion in 2013, only behind the Ile-de-France region, but being the 1st French region in terms of numbers of industrial jobs. The region is the 7th most important in Europe, and intends to improve this ranking. Its territory benefits from a number of major national research centres, 14 competitiveness clusters, and 18 business clusters, and ranks 2nd in France for the number of patents filed, and offers considerable potential for innovation.





Taking into consideration the economic importance of agriculture and tourism, they too are included in the SRDEII. The tourist industry is a growth engine for the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. In 2016 €19.7 billion was spent by French and international tourists in the region, being 8% of the Regional GDP. The industry employed 167,900 people, being 5.5% of the regional workforce, and benefited from €1.6 billion of private investment. Tourism has also seen its budget increased by 7% in the SRDEII, with €700,000 made available to support its development and reinforce its attractiveness.

Comprehensive business support The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region is revamping its support for business. From 1 September 2017, «Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Entreprises » will be the new economic development agency to support businesses and improve the employment situation. The new agency will be run jointly by Laurent Wauquiez, the President of the Region, and Jean-Dominique Senard, the President of the Michelin Group. This alliance of public and private strengths illustrates the reality on the ground. The agency's mission is to reinforce the attractiveness of the region, help businesses develop their exports, and develop the economy, innovation, training and employment. In order to respond to the needs of businesses in their environment, the agency intends to put in place a territorial way of functioning through conventions with the Departments, Metropolises and the EPCI (public establishments for inter-municipal cooperation). The Allier office of the Agence Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Entreprises has replaced the Comité d’Expansion Economique de l’Allier (CEEA -Economic Expansion Committee), and brings together various actors in the economy already present in the territory: the CEEA, le Comité Départemental de promotion des Produits d’Allier (CDPA- the Departmental Committee for promoting products produced in the Allier) and the Service Orientation Sociale Artisans et Commerçants de l’Allier (SOSAC-Service for Social Orientation for Artisans and Shopkeepers).

With an expected explosion in demand for thermal spa activities, the market for 'well-being' should more than double over the next 10 years in Europe and around the World. In 2017, 8.3 million more 'well-being' tourists are expected in France... The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region has a strong position in the sectors of preventive health care and well-being, and has made thermalism a priority in its policy for tourism, with the aim of being the most frequented thermal spa region in France. With a budget of €20 million, the 2016/2020 Regional Plan for Thermalism supports thermal spa resorts with their development projects. Vichy is one such resort being supported by the plan in 2017. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes now has all the necessary tools to successfully develop its economy. All the different activity sectors have been taken into account in a territory which is ready to support their projects. Texts : Véronique Durupt (VD Redac)

Photographs, illustrations : Vichy Communauté Développement, Les 4 Vents, Vichy Célestins Spa Hôtel, OT Vichy, Photovideodrone.com, Cabinet d’études Axe Saône, Groupe CDR, Thierry Sourbier


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