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Close links with the rest of the world
With more than 419 foreign-owned companies, the area enjoys close links with the rest of the world.
Population
With a population of 1,158,400, Grenoble-Isère is home to 92,900 foreigners, or 8% of the total.Communications infrastructure
Grenoble-Isère stands at the hub of a motorway network connecting to all the main European cities.Two international airports - Lyon St Exupéry and Geneva-Cointrin - offer flights to the world's capitals. More info.
International exchanges
Grenoble-Isère is the top department in Rhône-Alpes for exports, and seventh in France. Its main trading partners are Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain and Singapore.More info:
- Grenoble Chamber of Commerce and Industry: www.grenoble.cci.fr
- Grex (international trade centre operated by the chambers of commerce of Grenoble and Northern Isère): www.grex.fr
Foreign-owned companies
Grenoble-Isère has 439 foreign-owned companies, accounting for more than 42,800 jobs. The countries most represented are the United States, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Scandinavian countries and Switzerland.
AEPI publications
Download the "Foreign-owned companies in Grenoble-Isère" publication
Higher education and research
Every year Grenoble universities play host to 7,800 foreign students, representing 16% of the total student population, and large numbers of foreign researchers and research engineers.Grenoble is home to four international research facilities: ESRF, ILL, EMBL and IRAM. They play host to French and foreign researchers all the year round.
Furthermore our universities and (public and private) research centres are involved in research partnerships with foreign organisations.
More info on research
More info on higher education
Reception facilities, twinning arrangements and international cooperation
Grenoble-Isère has many international clubs which act as meeting places for members of foreign communities. More info
The city of Grenoble is twinned with the District of Bethlehem (Palestine), Catana (Italy), Chisinau (Moldawa), Corato (Italy), Constantine (Algeria), Essen (Germany), Halle (Germany), Innsbruck (Austria), Kaunas (Lithuania), Oxford (UK), Ouagadougou (Burkina-Faso), Pécs (Hungary), Phoenix (US), Rehovot (Israel), Sfax (Tunisia), Stendal (Germany), Suzhou (China). More info.
Companies, such as E-Mobilia, specializing in the reception of foreign executives are available to help new arrivals and their families settle in. Similarly they will be able to learn or improve their French with L'Alliance Française.
State primary schools, a secondary school and a sixth-form college – the last two forming a single complex in the Europole district – dispense special, internationally oriented courses for the children of foreign families, free of charge.