Taking into account the parallel needs of stimulating economic growth while also ensuring good regional planning, the development centres are the result of the authorities’ intention to redynamise the offer and the possibilities to set up new activities in the canton of Vaud.

With the aim of promoting sustainable development, the cantonal plan for the creation of development centres sought to reconcile the need to stimulate economic growth with the need for careful regional planning.

The cantonal economic strategy aimed to boost the high-tech sectors, creating a significant knock-on effect, and at the same time to preserve the diversified economic infrastructure on which the canton's vitality depends. Given this aim, it was anticipated that the promotion of the most attractive sites would produce significant and rapid results.

Regional planning requirements called for the creation of centralised business activities, close to transport network nodes and respectful of the environment. This objective proved compatible with that of economic development.

To guarantee the best chances of success, the cantonal plan to create development centres had to fulfil four conditions: high-quality centres; a varied selection of immediately available building sites; financial and tax measures; efficient promotion.