One hour by TGV from Paris Nord will land you in Lille-Flandres station, steps away from the iconic Grand'Place. Lille, known for its welcoming Ch'tis culture, delights with specialties like its morning 'petits pains' (similar to 'chocolatines' or chocolate croissants) and a gastronomic array from Gand street restaurants, including Welsh Galloway cheddar and Flemish 'carbonnades'.
From the La Piscine museum in Roubaix to the waffles at Meert for an afternoon snack, Lille boasts a rich cultural and culinary heritage. Watch the sunset from the Belfry, cheer on LOSC at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium, or explore the plethora of Belgian beers on tap in the local bars. With more bars per capita than Brussels (just a half-hour train ride away) and the Eurotunnel providing quick access to London, Lille is a vibrant city perfect for weekend adventures.
The capital of Flanders is home to 20,000 developers contributing to diverse industries, but particularly prominent in the Retail sector. Key players include distance selling e-commerce giants such as La Redoute, and major retailers like Decathlon, Auchan, Leroy Merlin, Norauto, and Kiabi. Other significant employers include AXA, Swisslife, Wordline, Crédit Agricole, and the SNCF.
In the realm of French Tech, the Euratechnology site in Lomme hosts startups such as Critizr, Karnott, and Sencrop, as well as Capgemini and IBM. The Plaine Image site, nestled between Tourcoing and Roubaix, is a hub for creative industry companies growing alongside Ankama.
The first local 'unicorn', Exotec, specializes in warehouse robotics. Other tech innovators include VadeSecure, a global email security solution, and Roubaix's OVH, the leading website host in Europe.
In Villeneuve d'Ascq, hundreds of engineers graduate each year from the scientific city and join innovative companies in the Haute Borne like Stormshield, Pictime, NTICO. Discover the trendiest companies in Lille at WeLoveDevs!
Half of Lille's computer scientists are trained at the University of Lille, which hosts Polytech, Centrale Lille, and IMT Lille Douai (formerly Télécom Lille). On the Catholic University campus, the Junia School also trains hundreds of engineers. Additional educational offerings include Supinfo, Epitech, and a host of career change programs, which provide a significant proportion of available positions.
The Lille DevFest returns each year with a fantastic ducasse atmosphere. Find our DevFest Lille videos on YouTube