The SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS SCIENCE PARK

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• The SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS SCIENCE PARK
• From Land to Technology
• 1969 - 2008

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IBM
NICE
TEXAS INSTRUMENTS
GRASSE
NICE COTE DAZUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS
ANTIBES JUAN-LES-PINS
CANNES
ALCATEL SPACE INDUSTRIES
SAEM SACA
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HISTORICAL LANDMARKSmain steps (1)

• 1969 Creation of " SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS association
  "
• and the concept of  city of science and
  wisdom 
• 1970 Creation of SAVALOR
• 1972 CIAT - operation branded as  national
  interest
• development project 
• - land control over 2300
  hectares
• - creation of an interministerial
  coordination group
• - creation of SYMISA, public development
  authority.

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HISTORICAL LANDMARKSmain steps (2)

• 1974 Interministerial committee
• - master plan approved
• - the first company settles
• 1980 First housing program delivered
• 1988 Creation of SAEM SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS
• 1999 Concept of  associated parks  on Côte
  dAzur
• 2002 Intercommunality creation of CASA
  (communauté dagglomération de Sophia
  Antipolis)
• 2005 Creation of poles of competitiveness
  Sophia tenants active in 7 poles, incl. SCS,
  worldwide level

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About US 600M has been invested since the
creation of Sophia Antipolis.
State
General Council (County level)
SYMISA

• More than US 200 M
• To buy land which is then resold at cost to
  SYMISA.
• To invest in secondary and higher education
  before the 1982 decentralisation laws
• Today, the State only has an advisory role and
  oversees the broad strategic objectives of
  Sophia-Antipolis.

• More than US 240 M
• The main funder of the parc
• to invest in infrastructure , road
  infrastructures and further education

• More than US 160 M
• The 9 districts taking part into SYMISA
• To finance public equipments (schools...) and
  general maintenance of the Park
• Funds particularly come from professional taxes
  paid by companies.

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KEY FIGURES (1) buildings

• 1 900 000 m² built upon completion
• 180 000 m² housing programs
• 1 037 000 m² presently occupied by
  corporations
• 450 000 m² of which are rented in
  commercial real estate programs
  
• 25 000 projected m² of speculative
  office buildings
• 2 200 housing units to date
  about 100 additional flats to come in
  2007 and 2008
• 9 hotels
• 6 students residences,
  soon to be 8

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KEY FIGURES (2) amenities

• International secondary school (C.I.V.) 2
  secondary education colleges
• 4 primary and elementary schools
• golf 3x18 h and 2x9 h courses - 1 complete
  practice ground
• 30 tennis courts / 2 gymnasiums / 1 stadium
• 1 fitness centre
• 1 new media library
• 2 700 m² of proximity shops
• 6 000 approved m² for next shopping and
  service centre (2007)
• 1 x concert hall and 1 x swimming pool about to
  be built

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KEY FIGURES (3) people

• AT THE HEART OF A 1 MILLION INHABITANTS
  AREA
• 27300 jobs in
• 1.300 companies
• 150 foreign capital companies
• 68 nationalities among the staff
• 4.500 researchers and 5500 students

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A CONCENTRATION OF SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES (1)

• 1. Information technologies330 corp / 12600
  empl.
• Electronics
• Software development
• Telecom / Networks / Multimedia
• E-commerce / Internet
• 2. Education and training
• 65 establ / 3 275 empl.
• from elementary schools to engineering studies

• 3. Life sciences and fine chemistry
• 45 corp / 2 150 empl.
• Pharmacy
• Dermatology
• Biotechnology
• Medical imaging
• 4. Environment and energy saving
• 19 establ / 260 empl.
• From solar energy to new materials

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A CONCENTRATION OF SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES (2)

• 4 types of actors involved have created the
   cluster  effect
• Major and multinational companies
• SMEs and start-ups
• Public research and higher education
• Thematic associations, networks, such as
  Telecom Valley, club High Tech, Data Base Forum,
  Sophia croissance etc ..
• Officially acknowledged as a worldwide
  competitiveness cluster (secured communicating
  solutions) by the French government July 2005 -
  6 other clusters

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Some key ingredients to success

• Creation of a strong steering committee
  representing all parties involved in order to
  achieve consensus and support the strategy
• A tracking of market trends in order to adapt to
  improve according to the local production factors
• Foster inward investment by creating incubator or
  venture funds so as to increase support of others
  financers
• Assess and improve the work force, the skills and
  the knowledge required for the good development
  of the park