43°37′20″N7°3′0″E / 43.62222°N 7.05000°E /43.62222; 7.05000
Sophia Antipolis | |
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 Aerial view of a company's HQ at Sophia Antipolis | |
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| Etymology:Greek:(σοφία, sophía) (wisdom),Greek:(Ἀντίπολις, antipolis) ("opposite city" from its position on the opposite side of the Var estuary from Nice, also former name ofAntibes, part of the technology park) | |
 Interactive map of Sophia Antipolis | |
  Sophia Antipolis  Sophia Antipolis | |
| Coordinates:43°36′56″N7°03′18″E / 43.6155°N 7.0550°E /43.6155; 7.0550 | |
| Country |  France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Communes | Antibes,Biot,Mougins,Valbonne,Vallauris |
| Postal codes | 06220 (Vallauris), 06250 (Mougins), 06410 (Biot), 06560 (Valbonne), 06600 (Antibes) |
| Website | sophia-antipolis.fr |
Sophia Antipolis is a 2,400 hectaretechnology park in southeastFrance, and as of 2021 home to 2,500 companies, valued today at more than 5.6 billion euros and employing more than 38,000 people counting more than 80 nationalities.[1][2][3][4] The park is known to be Europe's first science and technology hub.[5] The technology park is also a platform, cluster and creation-hub forstart-ups.[6][7][8]
The "technopole" houses primarily companies in the fields ofcomputing,[9]electronics,telecommunication,pharmacology andbiotechnology.[10] Several institutions of higher learning are also located here, along with the European headquarters ofW3C,ETSI,European Society of Cardiology, etc.
The park is supported by theSophia Antipolis Foundation, which aims to support "technological and scientific innovation and research projects at the service of mankind and our environment."[11] The foundation’s honorary chairman is Pierre Laffitte and its president is Jean-Pierre Mascarelli, who is also president of SYMISA, theSophia Antipolis Joint Association, which is "responsible for managing land, equipment, marketing and upkeeping the park and is involved with coordination activities for harmonious development of the technology park."
Sophia Antipolis is named afterSophie Glikman-Toumarkine, the wife of French SenatorPierre Laffitte, founder of the park, and incidentally,Sophia, the Greek word for wisdom, andAntipolis, the ancient (Greek) name of a nearby seaside townAntibes. Many of the roads within the technology park have Greek names. There is a giant sculptured Greek urn as a centre-piece on one of the roundabouts.
The park is also termed a "technopole".[12][13]
Gérald Hanning was the consultant advisor to theDATAR for this industrial/scientific complex created 1970 to 1984.[citation needed]
French SenatorPierre Laffitte conceived the idea of Sophia Antipolis, calling for decentralization and "rural branch of the capital".[1]
In 2016, theMouratoglou Tennis Academy was relocated fromMontreuil to Sophia Antipolis.[14]
The year 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the park.[1][15]
An agenda named "Sophia 2040" was created to "restore the former glory of the technology park's historic centre".[16]
Further novel investments e. g. intointelligent vehicle technology have been initiated.[16][17]
The technology park lies over an area that stretches into 5 municipalities or communes, much of it falling within the commune ofValbonne, which lies northwest ofAntibes and southwest ofNice,France.
Several neighborhoods within the park area exist, which make the area attractive to live: Garbejaire, Haut-Sartoux, Saint-Philippe and the Place Sophie Laffitte.[4] The locations include typical public services such as a post office, shops, hairdressers, a primary school, sport complexes, hotels, church, children play areas, etc. The area is also surrounded by multiple golf courses and located north of the science park lies the largeRegional Natural Park of the Préalpes d'Azur.[18]
Several bus routes (27 urban routes and 64 school bus routes) cover the vast area of the technology park. The main bus route (Ligne A, formerly known as Ligne 1), that was redesigned in 2020, connects the central bus station of the park (Gare Routière Valbonne - Sophia Antipolis) withAntibes railway station andJuan les Pins, with bus stops at main universities such asPolytech Nice Sophia andSKEMA. Antibes railway station provides access to the Riviera coastal railway (TER Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur) with eastbound trains toNice,Monaco andVentimiglia, or westbound trains toToulon andMarseille.
The technology park also has special express lines directly connecting the park with neighbouring cities:
The nearest international airport for the general public is theNice Côte d'Azur Airport. Passengers travelling through private jets andnon-scheduled flights can use theCannes – Mandelieu Airport as an alternative.
The technology park as of 2021 lists around 2,500 companies.[12] The park also benefits from close proximity of other large corporations in the area, e. g.Thales Alenia Space (inCannes),IBM (La Gaude) andSchneider Electric (Carros). Furthermore, the park is near the large city ofNice and its industries.[19]
The following list is a partial selection without claim to completeness or actuality. For an up-to-date listing and map of "park stakeholders" refer to the main website.[20]
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