Development Economic - State of Vaud (DEV)
Key Competitive Attractions
Lausanne Business
The canton Vaud is Switzerland’s largest French-speaking sub-region, strategically situated at the crossroads of the major Swiss and European motorways and railways. Most European capitals can be easily reached via Geneva Airport, which is just a 45-minutes drive from Lausanne. The main cities in the canton are Lausanne and Nyon.
Key advantages:
- Popular choice for global headquarters
- Sophisticated infrastructure
- 19 strategic real estate sites (400 hectares) for business development
- Switzerland’s largest campus with 25,000 students and researchers
- 50 international standard private schools
- Headquarters of the International Olympic Committee and 25 international sports federations
- Two conference and exhibition centres
- University hospital with a high standard of health
- Over 1,200 high-tech companies and numerous public and private research centres operating in cutting-edge business sectors: life sciences, ICT, micro- and nanotechnologies, energy and environmental technologies.
Assistance and Support For New Business Investors
Dev offers free-of-charge services to assist companies and investors in Vaud:
- Expert advice and area knowledge
- Networking opportunities
- Assistance with your business plan
- Information on legal regulations
- Information on available tax and business incentives, guarantees and loans
- Administrative assistance with application forms and residence/work permits
- Assistance identifying suitable premises
More on Funding & Support.
Existing Business Base
Vaud is in the wider Geneva region, meaning that it is an extremely international and cosmopolitan area. The well-established international communications and Geneva's position as a European political and administrational centre means that a huge number of international organisations have chosen Vaud for their headquarters. Vaud is a centre for enterprise and innovation.
Lausanne, the capital of Vaud, hosts a high concentration of pharmaceutical, life science and biotechnology companies.
