HE FRENCH CITY of Grenoble , nearly 400 miles south of Paris , lies in the middle of a Y-shaped alpine valley where two rivers meet , wending their way through a trio of limestone massifs — Chartreuse , Vercors , Belledonne . Wherever you are in this compact city , known as the capital of the Alps , you have 360-degree views of the peaks where skiers flock to snowcovered slopes in winter and golden eagles nest in summer . For all its natural beauty , Grenoble has also been known as a technological center since the 18th century , when local artist and inventor Jacques de Vaucanson developed a raft of new inventions that helped bring about the Industrial Revolution . But instead of Vaucanson ’ s metal lathes , automatic looms , and automatons ( early robots ), today it ’ s home to businesses , universities , and industries working on advanced technologies key to the Fourth Industrial Revolution .
This rich technological heritage and expertise led HP to open a Grenoble office over 50 years ago , establishing a strong base for its operations in Europe . Now more than 500 HP employees from 25 countries work in Grenoble in customer support , sales , and supply chain operations . Since 2018 , the company has also been the
FRENCH CONNECTIONS Views of the CEA Centre campus , above ; inside Y . Spot , a cross-pollination space for industry innovation , right .
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