toulouse
toulouse
toulouse
toulouse
toulouse
toulouse
toulouse
toulouse
la synapse
la synapse
la synapse
la synapse
la synapse
la synapse
la synapse
la synapse
History
A true crossroads of research, innovation, and creativity, Toulouse stands as a powerful metropolis on the European and global stage, attracting investors from around the world. Ranked as the top urban destination to visit in 2025 by the prestigious Lonely Planet “Best in Travel” guide, Toulouse captivates with its cultural richness, innovative economic dynamism, and commitment to sustainability and accessibility.
With a population of over one million, the fourth-largest city in France attracts thousands of students, researchers, and entrepreneurs each year. The global capital of civil aerospace, the European capital of space, the birthplace of embedded systems, a hub for “French Tech” startups, the headquarters of Oncopole, and a student favorite… Toulouse combines innovation, academic excellence, and quality of life, while maintaining its distinctive charm.
Rich in 2,000 years of history, the “Pink City,” named for its distinctive pink brick architecture, has established itself as a pillar of aviation, with the creation of Aéropostale in the 1920s, linking Europe, Africa, and South America. This aerospace and space heritage, now at the heart of innovation, enhances its scientific, economic, and tourist influence. Toulouse also enjoys strong international connectivity, with its airport ranked as the best in France according to the Airport Service Quality survey. The country’s leading business airport, it connects the city to over 80 global destinations.
With a population of over one million, the fourth-largest city in France attracts thousands of students, researchers, and entrepreneurs each year. The global capital of civil aerospace, the European capital of space, the birthplace of embedded systems, a hub for “French Tech” startups, the headquarters of Oncopole, and a student favorite… Toulouse combines innovation, academic excellence, and quality of life, while maintaining its distinctive charm.
Rich in 2,000 years of history, the “Pink City,” named for its distinctive pink brick architecture, has established itself as a pillar of aviation, with the creation of Aéropostale in the 1920s, linking Europe, Africa, and South America. This aerospace and space heritage, now at the heart of innovation, enhances its scientific, economic, and tourist influence. Toulouse also enjoys strong international connectivity, with its airport ranked as the best in France according to the Airport Service Quality survey. The country’s leading business airport, it connects the city to over 80 global destinations.
Quality of Life
The Pink City shines on the international stage, having been ranked as the top urban destination to visit in 2025 by the prestigious Lonely Planet “Best in Travel” guide. A leading reference in global tourism, this guide selects the top cities and places to explore each year based on cultural richness, tourist attractions, innovation, sustainability, and accessibility.
Toulouse captivates with its warm atmosphere, unique architecture, and dynamic cultural scene, making it a city where life is truly enjoyable. The city offers an unparalleled quality of life. Ideally situated between the sea, mountains, and countryside, Toulouse enjoys a particularly pleasant climate with over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, allowing residents to make the most of more than 170 parks and gardens. They also benefit from a high-quality education system, renowned primary and secondary schools, and internationally recognized higher education institutions.
General Economy
Toulouse has established itself as a major economic player in France and Europe, attracting businesses and talent from around the world. In 2023, it was recognized as the leading city for job creation in France, with a per capita GDP growth rate of 2.9% per year. According to the Arthur Loyd barometer, Toulouse is the most attractive city in France, thanks to its innovation, environmental commitment, housing accessibility, quality of life, and recruitment capacity.
Historically driven by the aerospace and aviation industries, the Toulouse metropolis is a center of excellence in research and development. Iconic companies such as Airbus, ATR, and Thales Alenia Space employ thousands of people, contributing to its international influence. At the same time, Toulouse is diversifying its areas of excellence by focusing on digital technologies, renewable energy, and health, with major players like Microsoft, Atos, Pierre Fabre, and Evotec.
Regarded as the favorite city of students, Toulouse attracts talent every year thanks to its network of renowned universities and grandes écoles, such as ISAE-SUPAERO, ENAC, and the University of Paul Sabatier. This academic dynamism fosters an ecosystem conducive to the emergence of innovative startups, further strengthening the city’s attractiveness.
Historically driven by the aerospace and aviation industries, the Toulouse metropolis is a center of excellence in research and development. Iconic companies such as Airbus, ATR, and Thales Alenia Space employ thousands of people, contributing to its international influence. At the same time, Toulouse is diversifying its areas of excellence by focusing on digital technologies, renewable energy, and health, with major players like Microsoft, Atos, Pierre Fabre, and Evotec.
Regarded as the favorite city of students, Toulouse attracts talent every year thanks to its network of renowned universities and grandes écoles, such as ISAE-SUPAERO, ENAC, and the University of Paul Sabatier. This academic dynamism fosters an ecosystem conducive to the emergence of innovative startups, further strengthening the city’s attractiveness.
Science and Innovation
Toulouse, France’s leading university destination, welcomes 120,000 students each year, including 15,000 internationals, and is distinguished by its 23 higher education institutions. For the past five years, it has also been recognized as the best student city in France by L’Étudiant, a French media.
The metropolis stands out for its strong collaboration between universities, research laboratories, and businesses. This “golden triangle” stimulates innovation and the development of innovative projects in the city’s strategic sectors. Toulouse thus positions itself as an innovative city in terms of technology and economic development.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are at the heart of the city, thanks to its unique ecosystem, which includes more than 80 structures dedicated to supporting startups. Incubators and accelerators such as Nubbo, Village by CA, IoT Valley, and District by Aerospace Valley offer tangible support to businesses. Moreover, Toulouse Métropole strengthens this innovation-friendly environment with its Toulouse Team Invest service, a tailored, free, and confidential support system designed to facilitate the establishment of innovative international companies in the Toulouse area.
The metropolis stands out for its strong collaboration between universities, research laboratories, and businesses. This “golden triangle” stimulates innovation and the development of innovative projects in the city’s strategic sectors. Toulouse thus positions itself as an innovative city in terms of technology and economic development.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are at the heart of the city, thanks to its unique ecosystem, which includes more than 80 structures dedicated to supporting startups. Incubators and accelerators such as Nubbo, Village by CA, IoT Valley, and District by Aerospace Valley offer tangible support to businesses. Moreover, Toulouse Métropole strengthens this innovation-friendly environment with its Toulouse Team Invest service, a tailored, free, and confidential support system designed to facilitate the establishment of innovative international companies in the Toulouse area.
Tech and Startups
Toulouse has established itself as a true technological hub and a fertile ground for startups. With nearly 4,000 companies specializing in IT, generating 52,000 jobs in this sector, the city is a key player in digital innovation. It is also home to over 700 startups that benefit from a dynamic and well-structured ecosystem, offering more than 75 support programs, including incubators, accelerators, and coworking spaces.
Toulouse’s appeal to tech companies is further strengthened by its 160 R&D centers and the presence of 20,000 IT students, ensuring a highly skilled workforce. This network of research and innovation allows Toulouse-based companies to stay at the forefront of technological advancements and develop in cutting-edge fields. Thanks to this momentum, Toulouse continues to attract entrepreneurs and talent, solidifying its position as a dynamic and innovative metropolis in the tech and startup sectors across Europe.
Toulouse’s appeal to tech companies is further strengthened by its 160 R&D centers and the presence of 20,000 IT students, ensuring a highly skilled workforce. This network of research and innovation allows Toulouse-based companies to stay at the forefront of technological advancements and develop in cutting-edge fields. Thanks to this momentum, Toulouse continues to attract entrepreneurs and talent, solidifying its position as a dynamic and innovative metropolis in the tech and startup sectors across Europe.
Four thematic competencies were chosen by La Synapse in Toulouse.
Toulouse, a true flagship of the aerospace industry, is at the heart of global innovation, with a sector that brings together 1,100 companies and more than 97,000 employees. As the capital of aeronautics, the city is a leading production center, hosting the headquarters and subsidiaries of major industrial groups such as Airbus (+735 aircraft delivered in 2023), ATR, SAFRAN, and Collins Aerospace, as well as numerous startups, specialized subcontractors, and significant applied research centers. Leading institutions such as ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC train the engineers of tomorrow, equipping them with the essential skills to meet future challenges. Within this framework, the Toulouse Aerospace Campus has emerged— a 56-hectare space offering an internationally recognized R&D ecosystem for aerospace, where innovation and collaboration are central to the operations.
Toulouse also plays a pivotal role in the research and development of sustainable aviation. With its ecosystem, the city fosters synergies and the emergence of innovative, low-carbon technologies. In addition to major players like Airbus and its ZEROe project, many startups are working on breakthrough technologies such as hybrid/electric propulsion (Ascendance, Aura Aero), and hydrogen (H3 Dynamics, Beyond Aero, Blue Spirit Aero). These startups have gained significant traction within the Toulouse ecosystem, such as Aura Aero, which raised €134 million in 2024 and received €95 million from the European Union’s innovation fund. With support from the French government and local institutions, Toulouse is positioning itself as a center of excellence where expertise, innovation, and long-term vision converge to shape the future of sustainable aviation. Aerospace Valley, Europe’s leading competitiveness cluster for the sector, brings together and drives this ecosystem forward.
As the European capital of space, Toulouse benefits from an ecosystem of excellence that brings together historic players such as the National Center for Space Studies (CNES), major international industrial companies (Airbus Defence & Space, Thales Alenia Space…), cutting-edge research laboratories (ONERA, IRT, CIRIMAT, Laplace, LAAS), SMEs, startups, and renowned universities (ISAE-SUPAERO, ENSEEIHT, INSA…). Thanks to their recognized expertise, Toulouse’s space sector actors play a key role in the planning and implementation of French, European, and international space programs, including Mars exploration missions like Curiosity and Perseverance. Toulouse was also chosen to host the NATO Space Center of Excellence, created in 2023 to design and implement the military space strategy and training for NATO member nations.
By fostering the development of an ecosystem of excellence, Toulouse has become a major hub in the flourishing NewSpace market. Many promising projects are currently under development, such as shared orbital infrastructure with Loft Orbital (USA), orbital services and debris removal (Infinite Orbits, Astroscale), small satellite mobility (Exotrail), and the development of Artificial Intelligence for the space industry (CS Group, AIKO). To grow their activities, Toulouse-based startups benefit from numerous testing and trial facilities, as well as the support of Aerospace Valley, which assists them in their pursuit of international markets.
In just a few years, Toulouse has established itself as a center of excellence for technological innovation, attracting numerous companies specialized in industrial biotechnology.
The Biotech Alley, a true 15,000 m² campus of excellence in Toulouse, hosts innovative industrial players such as Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB), the Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, and CRITT Bio-Industries. These organizations support companies in their transition to eco-responsible industries that address climate challenges. Indeed, the TWB public-private technology platform, with its cutting-edge infrastructure and multidisciplinary expertise, offers an environment conducive to innovation and collaboration among the various stakeholders in the biotechnology ecosystem. In partnership with businesses, research laboratories, universities, and startups, TWB conducts applied research projects and technological development initiatives to accelerate the market launch of new bio-industrial solutions. Each year, more than 150 cutting-edge industrial projects (worth 20 million euros) emerge in Toulouse. These projects span a wide range of applications, including chemistry, materials, food, health, and energy.
In 2018, thanks to the Toulouse ecosystem and particularly the players in Biotech Alley, the company Greenspot Technologies, which transforms co-products from the agri-food industry into a tasty and nutritious powder using the benefits of fermentation, received support in terms of housing, technical assistance, and advice to optimize manufacturing processes and ensure a smooth transition to industrialization.
At the end of 2023, the company launched the commercialization of its products with an annual production capacity of 600 tons and aims to produce 86,000 tons of fermented products by 2030.
Toulouse has become a key hub for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in France and Europe, thanks to major initiatives such as ANITI (Artificial and Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute), an interdisciplinary research institute that brings together 150 companies, 250 researchers, 33 specialized laboratories, and 160 R&D centers. The city’s dynamic technological ecosystem includes over 4,000 digital companies and 700 startups, supported by close collaboration between universities, businesses, and research centers. This synergy fosters the emergence of cutting-edge technologies, particularly in autonomous mobility, a sector where Toulouse excels, ranging from drones to connected vehicles. The metropolis is one of the most dynamic French cities in the field of AI, thanks to its aerospace and automotive heritage.
In an increasingly connected world, cybersecurity has become a strategic challenge for authorities and businesses, both from societal, economic, and technological perspectives. With more than 200 companies specializing in cybersecurity in Occitania, Toulouse holds a significant position in the research and development of disruptive solutions and innovations in cybersecurity.
Toulouse also attracts international companies, such as Alygne, a Californian company that chose the city for its European headquarters due to the strength of its AI ecosystem. Smart Connect IoT, a major player in the Internet of Things (IoT), also selected Toulouse for its innovation capacity and advanced research infrastructures.
