LYON
Lyon's construction sector is performing strongly in 2026, driven by the convergence of life sciences investment, tram network expansion, and an ambitious programme of Saône riverfront regeneration. The Métropole de Lyon has committed €1.6 billion to infrastructure works over the 2025–2030 period, making it one of France's most actively investing provincial cities and a bellwether for national construction confidence outside the Paris basin.
The Gerland biotech and life sciences district — already home to Sanofi, Biomérieux, and dozens of smaller research firms — is experiencing its most intensive phase of construction since the district's initial development in the 1990s. The BioParc Lyon expansion, a public-private partnership totalling €480 million, is adding 90,000 square metres of laboratory, cleanroom, and collaborative research space across four purpose-designed buildings. The project employs specialist contractors in HVAC engineering, pharmaceutical-grade cleanroom fitting, and high-specification façade cladding systems.
The Presqu'île riverfront — Lyon's historic peninsula between the Rhône and Saône rivers — is the subject of a decade-long urban transformation programme. The Rives de Saône scheme has already delivered several kilometres of car-free promenade, and 2026 will see the completion of Phase 3, which brings a floating performance venue, three new pedestrian bridges, and a 12-hectare park on former industrial land near the old Perrache marshalling yards. The construction phase is employing approximately 900 workers across landscape, civil, and specialist engineering disciplines.
Tram Line T10, Lyon's newest urban rail route, is scheduled to open in late 2026, connecting the Part-Dieu business district to the growing Confluence regeneration zone in the south. Construction of the dedicated trackway, stations, and associated road infrastructure is in its final phase, with engineering teams focusing on the complex track junction works beneath the historic Gare de Perrache railway terminal.