14 February 2020

Université Côte d’Azur inaugurates the building of its first Institute for Innovation and Partnerships, the IMREDD

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A project co-built by Université Côte d’Azur and the Nice-Côte d’Azur Metropolis, and funded under the State-Region plan contract, IMREDD is an important player in the Plaine du Var Eco-Valley, at the heart of the future Nice Méridia urban technopole, fitted out and developed by the EPA Nice Ecovallée. Open to the University Course, this 5000 m2 building, designed by architect Marc Barani, is exemplary in terms of energy and the environment. IMREDD is an original place of cooperation between the academic world, business and the territory.

The IMREDD building is financed under the State-Region Plan Contract

+ At the heart of the Nice Méridia urban technopole, IMREDD invents the City of Tomorrow

At the heart of the development of its territory and participating in its international influence and its attractiveness, the IMREDD – Institute for Partnerships and Innovation of University Côte d’Azur – embodies one of the structuring axes of the new Experimental University. It brings together researchers and educators, students, business creators, economic partners and communities in an innovative collaboration on a societal issue: the intelligent and resilient territory in the face of all environmental issues.

In relation to the economic world, IMREDD has the following missions:

• to stimulate partnership research / transfer actions,

• to promote expertise and innovation in businesses for economic development and job creation in the area,

• create initial and continuous training courses that directly meet the needs of businesses.

Imagined and designed around an open Technological Platform dedicated to sustainable development and the Smart City (Smart City Innovation Center), IMREDD aims to foster the link with the businesses world and ensure effective connections and interactions between fundamental research and innovation in a logic of cross-fertilization. Its approach aims at the same time to understand the existing solutions, the new needs and the perspectives of evolution in the Strategic Activities Areas (SAA) identified:

SAA1: Environment
SAA2: Risks
SAA3: Energy
SAA4: Mobility

The Smart City Innovation Center is a project funded with the support of the European Union with the European Regional Development Fund. The project also benefits from public co-financing from the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, the Alpes-Maritimes Department, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region and the State, in particular within the framework of the “Initiative d’Excellence” operation of the “Investissements d’Avenir” program.

+ A model of energy efficiency and openness to the City

The future IMREDD building is one of the flagship architectural projects of the Var Plains Eco-Valley. Designed according to the principles of energy efficiency and openness to the city, it will allow the integration of students, researchers, educators and industrial partners around a smart, connected and sustainable city project. Its Smart City Innovation Center (SCIC) makes it possible to materialize, on an industrial scale, different key concepts and technologies for the Institute’s Strategic Activity Areas, a real place of experimentation, training and demonstration for the Smart City of the future.

The Learning Center, located in the heart of the building, is a modular space adaptable to different activities (conferences, team work). A versatile place for training, exchange, meetings, synergy, which spans two levels.

The building was designed with technologies that allow a conscious and efficient use of energy and natural resources.

Designed to meet energy and environmental challenges (bioclimatic architecture, production of photovoltaic electricity), the building will make it possible to experiment with energy management through the implementation of innovative solutions integrating into a smart grid approach through projects such as “Smart campus” and H2020 IRIS which mobilize the public-private ecosystem on the Nice Meridia site.

The backbone of these projects, the IMREDD also fully associates its students with it in the form of study projects, internships or doctorates, in particular the students of its Master of Science “Engineers for smart cities” opened in September 2016 and dedicated to training managers in the field of smart city management.