For Saint-Nazaire, one can expect slight changes in this respect, given the new contracts signed by the shipyard for the construction of several big cruise ships, but these largely protect current jobs and do not offer large net increases in direct employment. Further, it is important to consider that the 2008 economic crisis would have negatively impacted economic development in the intervening years. There is now a strong focus on improving interaction and dialogue both between the two urban areas in the estuary, and also among the two urban areas and the more rural communes.