Axelle Lemaire, the Secretary of State in charge of digital affairs, unveiled the list of the 9 territories that received the “French Tech” label: Bordeaux, Aix-Marseille, Montpellier, Grenoble… but the [Côte d’Azur’s application](https://www.frenchtechcotedazur.fr/) was not selected.
The regrettable absence of Sophia-Antipolis from the French Tech network is the direct consequence of a strategy that, behind the official façade, seeks to develop the OIN, in constant competition with its natural ecosystem, Sophia Antipolis.
The failure of the French Tech Côte d’Azur application should mark the end of this practice and open a period of strategic consultation between the OIN of Plaine du Var and Sophia-Antipolis to build a coherent and clearly identified single innovation perimeter on a national, European, and global scale. The French Tech Côte d’Azur application should serve this purpose.
Patrick Allemand wanted to anticipate criticisms from local decision-makers…
“Let no one tell me it is a political issue. Our government has a republican, not militant, conception of its responsibilities. Otherwise, Aix-Marseille would not have been selected. Aix is UMP, Marseille is UMP, and the Marseille metropolis is UMP.
If we were not selected, it’s simply because our application had certain shortcomings, particularly in terms of startup accelerators.
The failure, which I hope is temporary, of the Côte d’Azur application mainly stems from the lack of coherence and governance between Nice and Sophia Antipolis.”
What action should be taken?
For the 1st Vice-President of the Region, the route is clear: “Even though the region’s assistance was hardly solicited in this first phase by the Côte d’Azur backers, the PACA Region reaffirms its interest in this case.
In the short term, as president of the ARII, I am requesting a meeting with Axelle Lemaire, with the help of our Regional President Michel Vauzelle, who has been committed since yesterday, and our parliamentarian Sophia politain, Marc Daunis, to defend this case. I also propose to include in this effort any other member of parliament from our department who wishes to participate.”
To whom it may concern…
