Austin, Texas and Angers, France have been Sister Cities since 2011.
The Sister Cities program was created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to promote citizen diplomacy and relationship building. These broad-based, long-term partnerships between two communities support cultural, educational, informational and trade exchanges.
Angers has earned a reputation as a leader in promoting environmentally responsible industrial production. The Anjou region is home to more than 70 multinational firms. Located 90 minutes from Paris by high-speed train, tourist destinations in the area include historic monuments, chateaux and manor houses.
Austin, the state capital of Texas, has established a reputation as a high-tech hub. Technology companies located there include Dell, Apple, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, AMD, and Texas Instruments. Austin is also home to a number of universities including the University of Texas. The city might be best known as the host of South by Southwest, one of the biggest festivals focused on tech, music, film, and education.
Cooperation between these two cities has featured Angers-based band performances at SXSW Music, and Texas musicians, chefs and entrepreneurs have traveled to Angers for cultural exchange programs.
