Thanks to its international partnerships, Clermont Auvergne Métropole attracts foreign talent and offers numerous advantages for companies looking to expand internationally.

01

Partnerships
all over the World

Labelled a European City since 2022, Clermont-Ferrand and its metropolitan area are resolutely open to Europe and the world. Its international activities are marked by its involvement in networks, with concrete advances and objective successes to be credited to these partnerships that know no borders.

In constructive dialogue with its international partners, Clermont Auvergne Métropole is working to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s cities: successfully managing transition and adaptation in a spirit of innovation, competitiveness, creativity and solidarity.

This vitality benefits local companies, who are rising to the challenges of breaking into and staying in a global market.

The Michelin International City Network

At a time when environmental, social, digital and cultural challenges are emerging all over the world, the Michelin International City Network encourages cooperative innovation and creativity to lead the ecological and social transition.
With a shared ambition: to build resilient territories by drawing on all the driving forces of the 23 partner cities – be they institutional, economic, academic, cultural or associative.
In 2022, the member cities collectively committed to achieving climate neutrality through the Querétaro Declaration.

Concrete advances in 2023-2024:

– The Gender Equality Lab: a think tank for sharing data and experience to combat gender inequality and discrimination against women and gender minorities.
– The Incubator Corridor: a cooperation agreement to host innovative start-ups in partner cities. The aim is to increase opportunities for access to the international market.
– The Sustainable Mobility Lab: as its name suggests, this brings together the partner cities’ research laboratories to work on mobility issues. A community of interest conducive to sharing expertise and feedback.
– The international network of Michelin cities is also working to create a community of interest around adaptation to climate change.

CreArt 3.0

CreArt is a cultural cooperation network promoting contemporary art throughout Europe. It links 13 medium-sized cities, and Clermont-Ferrand is taking part in CreArt 3.0.

The aims of the^3rd edition, 2024-2026, are to extend the scope of the program to include music and the performing arts, and to support Ukrainian artists, notably through artistic residencies. For the Metropole, it’s an opportunity to strengthen its support for the local visual arts, and at the same time raise the profile of the entire Cultural and Creative Industries sector.

Center Europe direct Clermont Puy-de-Dôme

To better understand the European Union (EU), its policies, programs and initiatives, the European Commission has created the Europe Direct centers. A network of 437 accredited centers throughout Europe. The Europe direct Puy-de-Dôme center is one of them. It is the first link between companies in the metropolitan area and the EU. Free of charge and open to all, you’ll find valuable information on existing European programs and funding, on current calls for projects, and on the structures and organizations that can help you with your projects.

02

A university
open to the world

With more than 4,500 foreign students, Clermont Auvergne Métropole is home to several international academic institutions and grandes écoles, including the Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA). These institutions are involved in collaborative research projects with international companies in cutting-edge fields such as sustainable materials, biotechnologies, healthcare, finance and international development. The Cerdi, an international development study and research center, works with the IMF and trains future executives in this field.

Without aiming to become the French Cambridge, the UCA hopes to establish itself as one of the top French universities in the Shanghai ranking – it is currently in the top 20 – and to attract ever more foreign talent.

The Metropole is involved in a number of networks and supports several schemes to facilitate university exchanges and welcome students from all over the world in the best possible conditions.

• + 4,500international students
• + 500international partnership agreementssigned by UCA

Artemis

UCA is the leader ofArtemis, Alliance for Regional Transition, Equality, Mobility, Inclusion and Sustainability. The consortium brings together 8 universities that are determined to combine their academic strengths in the service of ecological and social transition. For example? The Alliance wants to help start-ups test their advanced technologies under real-life conditions to prove that they work. The aim is to demonstrate the market potential of Auvergne start-ups and boost their international competitiveness.

University networks

Clermont-Ferrand and its metropolitan area are also members of international networks that enhance the attractiveness of their research and higher education establishments:

> the European Network of University Towns: enut.network
> the World Network of Learning Cities
> the Global Development Network, with 3 branches worldwide: New Delhi in India, Arlington in the USA and Clermont-Ferrand.

03

A major
tourist destination

Situated at the heart of a volcanic and natural environment that is unique in the world, the Metropole attracts millions of tourists every year, whether for a holiday, a festival or a business trip.

Major international events

Clermont Auvergne Métropole organizes and hosts international events. The result? Great moments of cultural influence for the metropolis, and opportunities for companies to extend their international network and attract new customers or partners.

• International Short Film Festival: the world’s largest event dedicated to short films, no less!

• Fite: International Festival of Extraordinary Textiles returns to Clermont-Ferrand every other year. In odd-numbered years? It is hosted abroad. The 2025 edition will be held in São Paulo, Brazil.
• Europavox: the annual music festival featuring artists from all over Europe on its three stages, set up on the Place du^1er mai in Clermont-Ferrand.

A landscape unique in the world

Geographically, Clermont Auvergne Métropole is at the center of France. Geologically, Clermont is at the center of the world. A breathtaking natural environment that attracts continents.

• Unesco – In July 2018, the Chaîne des Puys-Faille de Limagne made a stunning entry into Unesco’s World Heritage List. In fact, the 80 volcanoes stretching along a 35 km ridgeline bear witness to a colossal phenomenon: the breaking up of continents. This makes it the only natural site in mainland France to be classified. In fact, it’s the most compact and diverse collection of volcanic forms on Earth! A unique tectonic landscape that now rivals the Grand Canyon, Kilimanjaro and the Great Barrier Reef.

• Natura 2000 – a network of exceptional natural sites protected throughout Europe. The challenge? Bringing together human activities and threatened natural environments. The idea is not to prohibit access, but rather to rethink the uses of these areas to protect biodiversity. Close to the water and in the heart of the volcanoes, several sites around Clermont are classified Natura 2000. The Metropole is committed to managing these fragile areas in such a way as to guarantee the survival of species and habitats.

• Europavox Festival45,000 visitorsin 2024
• Panoramique des Dômes409,000 visitorson board in 2024

04

Companies
that make the metropolis shine

They’re known all over the world, and Clermont is their new home. Let’s take a look at some of the leading brands that are boosting Clermont-Ferrand’s economic appeal.

• Michelin – the tire leader – supports and invests in innovative start-ups in the mobility, environment, biotechnology and sustainable materials sectors. A springboard that contributes to the internationalization of innovative local companies.

• Limagrain – In 60 years, the agricultural cooperative born in Auvergne has built an empire. Today, Limagrain, the world’s^{4th largest} seeds company, employs 9,000 people in 57 countries. To meet the challenges of climate change, Limagrain is focusing on innovation to develop varieties that are more resistant to drought.

• Volvic – certainly one of the most famous mineral water brands in the world. It draws its water from springs in Volvic, at the foot of the Auvergne volcanoes. Although the production plant is in Volvic, the brand is an integral part of the Clermont-Ferrand economic landscape.

• Sanofi – the world’s^leading producer of pharmaceuticals – has been based in Vertolaye, in the Puy de Dôme region, since 1939. The Vertolaye plant exports 80% of its production to over 80 countries.

• Sopra Steria – a major player in European Tech, Sopra Steria supports companies in their digital transformation with 52,000 employees in nearly 30 countries. Sopra Steria has set up offices in the Pardieu industrial park in Clermont.

While Clermont Auvergne Métropole’s jewels are being exported with talent, initiatives like French Tech support the metropolis’ attractiveness to international start-ups.

The metropolitan area is a hub of industrial innovation, particularly in the automotive, biotech and aeronautics sectors. The long-term presence of companies such as Michelin, Limagrain and Sopra Steria makes Clermont Auvergne Métropole an international asset for the entire ecosystem. In their wake, they bring with them start-ups, VSEs and SMEs that benefit from their reputation and the collaborations forged with international partners and customers.