In the context of the National Interest Operation of the Var plain, the deputy mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, and the president of the general council of the Alpes-Maritimes, Eric Ciotti, inaugurated the Mediterranean Institute for Risk, Environment and Sustainable Development (IMREDD) and the Center for Innovative Enterprises (CAEI) in the Nice Premium building. Two organizations with complementary goals: to create an innovation hub that respects ecology.
An ecological innovation hub
With the launch of IMREDD, the metropolis is openly aiming to become the European leader in the race for sustainable development. This institute is the result of cooperation between higher education, research laboratories, businesses, competitiveness clusters, local authorities, international institutions, and NGOs. It operates in four areas: research, teaching/training, valorization, and a permanent forum for sustainable development technologies. The trainings (including Materials and Energies, Risk Reduction, Finance, Economics and Management, Law, Governance and Spatial Planning) are all centered around ecology. With nearly 200 teachers and 800 students, this place is set to become the largest concentration of sustainable development players in Europe and the Mediterranean. Simultaneously, the CAEI will assist SMEs and innovative entrepreneurs in establishing themselves in the heart of the eco-valley. Over the next 5 years, 120 companies are expected to be created on the Eco-campus, generating nearly 450 jobs.
The new model of sustainable urbanization
The Var Plain’s OIN, the first in France dedicated to sustainable development, will profoundly change this western district of Nice. On 10,000 hectares of land, 450 will be developed into large, innovative, and ecological activity hubs. In the next fifteen years, 1.3 million m² will be dedicated to businesses, housing, and commerce around the projects of Grand Arénas, Nice Méridia, and Baronne-Lingostière. This should generate nearly 30,000 jobs. This “Eco-valley” is a new development model based on sustainable urbanization that balances economic dynamism, living conditions, and environmental respect.
