On Tuesday, March 17th on the Sophiatech campus, the Côte d’Azur University, via the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Mines Paristech, Alstom, and ERDF, presented its candidacy, filed the same day and christened “Smart Campus Nice Sophia Antipolis”, a first step in the national industrial plan for “Smart Electrical Networks”.
These institutions are responding to a national call for expression of interest in a “Smart Campus” within the framework of the implementation of the national roadmap for “Smart electrical networks” to be integrated into 34 government industrial plans. The calendar plans for the submission of application files by March 17 and the nomination of winning campuses on May 15.
Benefitting from the decisive support of the region of Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur, the Metropolis of Nice Côte d’Azur, and the urban community of Sophia Antipolis (CASA), this candidacy is based on the Cote d’Azur’s exceptional ecosystem composed of the University Côte d’Azur research laboratories involved in the project and IMREDD, as well as the Scientific and Technical Center for Building (CSTB), industry leading companies (EDF, RTE, IBM, Orange), SMEs and startups from NCA and CASA in the ICT and energy sectors, the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur, and the competitive clusters of Capenergies and Solutions Communicantes Sécurisées (SCS).
It aims to implement an experimental smart electrical network, a veritable platform for innovation mobilizing the industrial and academic fabric of the region. Five themes, based on the strengths of the academic laboratories, constitute the major components: Behavioral sociology, smart building, data exchange, cybersecurity, and auto-production/auto-consumption.
The Smart Campus will support the development of innovative scientific activity and will guide the elaboration of new training curricula in “smart electrical networks” with the goal of giving rise to new student vocations.
These programs will give rise to fledgling companies and new startups that will ultimately enrich the offerings of REI France and become international showcases of French expertise.
The activities of “Smart Campus” will take shape beforehand on the existing site of SophiaTech and later in a second phase on the Eco-campus, whose construction is planned in Nice Méridia.
The smart electrical networks, or smart grids, aim to directly create more than 25,000 jobs and 6 million euros of revenue in France in 2020.
The Côte d’Azur, which implemented a “smart grid charter” at the departmental level in May of 2013, is truly a pioneer of smart grid and smart city technology.
