Vosges: an alliance of contrasts

The department of Vosges is a land of contrast that combines the lowlands and the middle mountains, industry, and tourism. Much more than the images of Epinal and the famous “blue line of the Vosges”, it is a department of the character recognized for its culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Vosges have been and still remain one of the strongholds of the French textile industry, which has undergone a major change in recent years. More than half of French production of cotton yarns and fabrics is produced in Lorraine, mainly in the Vosges. Productions have specialized and are increasingly sophisticated, like carbon fiber, encapsulation and specialty wire for the aviation and medical industries.

Wood is another important component of the Vosges industry. This activity exploits one of the most beautiful French forests. The sector extends from forestry to the transformation of wood into carpentry, joinery, flooring, particle board, not to mention the production of furniture and the violin making Mirecourt. The sector benefits from the presence of the National School of Technologies and Wood Industries ( ENSTIB ) and a regional center for innovation and technology transfer ( CRITT ) for the wood industries.

The paper industry, the plastics industry, and metallurgy are also developed in the Vosges, which are also successfully cultivating an image of a tourist department. The thermal baths in Vittel, Contrexéville, Bains-Les-Bains, and Plombières-les-Bains participate as well as the ski resorts of the Vosges mountains.

The Vosges rely on this original alliance between industry, tourism, and culture to enhance their technical know-how and their living environment in order to pursue their economic development.