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International environment

Haute-Savoie is a border region

As a leading economic partner, Switzerland strengthens the international outlook of Haute-Savoie.

Each day, more than 45,000 people cross the border to work in Switzerland. The immediate vicinity of Geneva offers an opening to the entire world (international organisations, intercultural exchanges, Geneva-Cointrin airport) with 100 international destinations.

The Archamps site, a cutting-edge business and research park originated by the General Council and the Departmental Economic Agency, shows Haute-Savoie’s ability to benefit from this proximity.

International Geneva 

• 22 international organisations
• 250 non-governmental organisations
• 35,000 international diplomats and officials
• More than 120 multinationals (biotechnology, banking/finance, international trade, watches and luxury items, telecom, and electronics).

Near CERN

Located on the Franco-Swiss border, CERN is the Europe’s leading research centre. A powerful driver of scientific activity, its technological and industrial benefits have an international impact.

Seven thousand scientists, or half of the particle physicists worldwide, use the facilities of CERN. They represent 500 universities and more than 80 nationalities.

CERN currently employs more than 400 residents of Haute-Savoie.

Since its creation, CERN has been the source of many very significant discoveries and innovations in particle physics and other branches of science. Several CERN scientists have received Nobel Prizes for their discoveries. The discovery of neutral currents in 1973 and the success of proton beam collisions with the ISR for the first time in the world are among the highlights of CERN’s history, not to mention a technological breakthrough known and used worldwide: the World Wide Web, invented in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee.

More info :

• the Archamps site
• the city of Geneva
• Universities of Geneva
• University of CERN

The Web was born at CERN

Although everyone is familiar with the Web, few people know that it was invented at CERN.

In 1990, a brilliant engineer developed the first global IT network to allow particle physicists to access their data easily regardless of their location. Named the World Wide Web, this system of exchanges already used hypertext, a new approach to linking documents. The internet was born, a brilliant example of the transition from the research world to everyday life.