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With its position by the sea, the city developed into one of France's major ports. While maritime and naval activity have now moved downstream to Saint-Nazaire, the entire estuary has joined forces and turned Nantes-Atlantique into the metropolitan centre for the west of France.

The estuary has a healthy economy that has been undergoing radical change. Every industry within the service sector is established here, e.g. medicine, administration, finance, information technology and trade, which makes Nantes the second most important French city for the service industry. The estuary itself, the fourth most important industrial region in France, is home to an array of engineering companies (maritime, mechanical, electronics, I.T.) as well as the food and timber industries. In an environment which promotes get-up-and-go, talent and success stories can be found in abundance. A busy port, decentralised expansion facilitated by the TGV high-speed train links and a network of training and research centres made up of 2,000 researchers and 43,000 students all contribute to Nantes' considerable reputation. Every year a thousand engineers graduate from the various tertiary industry institutions in the area.

Traditional cultural events are programmed in Nantes, often alongside some quite breathtaking creative innovations. This is only to be expected from the city that was the birthplace of Jules Vernes and the cradle of surrealism. Such eclecticism can be seen today through the harmonious co-existence of institutions such as the famous opera house, the Pays-de-Loire National Philharmonic Orchestra and the Loire-Atlantique cultural centre. Cultural events in the region's calendar include: the Carnival in April, the Summer Festival in June where musicians from around the world come to perform, and the Erdre programme, which combines music and water sports in a unique natural setting.