Number of companies

of which industry
of which commerce
of which service
of which agriculture

106 574

6 895
15 216
54 388
10 778

Coverage ratio
Yearly result

The primary sector (agriculture, raw material production) employs 7 % of the active population (France 5 %, Italy 7  %, Switzerland 5 %, Slovenia 5 %). The population working in agriculture is decreasing, but many efforts are done in the quality field. The majority of rawmaterials are imported, apart hydroelectricity : Savoy is a net exporter of electric energy.

The secondary sector (industry) employs 24 % of the active population (France 29 %, Italy 28 %, Switzerland 33 %, Slovenia 46 %). All company sizes coexists, but the major part of the activity is related with small and medium companies which represents a sufficient activity to prevent Savoy against the dangers of mono-activity :
- the intermediate goods industry (iron and derivates, chemical and derivates, cement and derivates, papers and derivate, timber and derivates treatment,...) is globally regressing, but remains important, specifically in Southern Savoy ;   
- the food industries are very active ;   
- the mechanical sector is highly represented through very dynamic companies for export (70 % of micro-mechanics in France is coming from the Faucigny, where are implemented hundred of small and medium-sized companies) ;
- the consumer products industry is leaded by Salomon, Tefal, Dynastar ;
- the furniture industry is quite fragmented. The leader is Mobalpa (Kitchen equipement) in Thônes.
The industry allows Savoy to win a commercial excedent of 1.68 billion EUR (11 billions de FRF), which represents 10 % of the French excedent.

The tertiary sector (all services) employs 69 % of the active population (France 66 %, Italy 65 %, Switzerland 62%, Slovenia 49 %).
- building works and real estate imply 2 300 companies and many independent professional ;
- commerce and artefact activity is diversified ;
- tourism represents an important activity, but its turnover is not over the micro-mechanics one. Despite admitted ideas, Savoy is not a touristic leisure park in the mountains. Meanwhile, the touristic economy in Savoy is organized under a simple and efficient colonial logic, with the following major characteristics :

a good transport and communication network :
- Savoy is served by the Gaz de France network as well as by the Mediterranean - Rhône oil pipeline, linking Marseille to Geneva ;   
- Savoy has an easy access to two international airports (Geneva and Lyons) and two regional airports (Chambéry and Annecy, both in Savoy) ;
- the railway network is articulated on the corridor (Ambérieu)-Culoz-Modane-(Turin) via Aix-en-Savoie and Chambéry. It is one of the major lines in France for the freight traffic, but the network, managed by both RFF and SNCF is not as modern as elsewhere in Europe for other corridors.
- the road network is exceptionnaly dense and modern. Investments of local communities and those of the French State (particularly for the Olympic Winter Games) were important.

a position facilitating exportation, on two alpine transit corridors.

exceptional landscapes, improving tourism since the XIXth century.

a serious and competent manpower.