From Local Innovation to Cross-Border Collaboration
On March 14, 2025, the Innovation Hub in Nice hosted a high-level economic meeting that set the tone for a new phase of collaboration between Nice Côte d’Azur, Tunisia, and, more broadly, North Africa. Organized by Team Nice Côte d’Azur and Business France, the event brought together key stakeholders to explore synergies in innovation, AI, and green transition.
The participation of figures like Anne Guéguen, French Ambassador to Tunisia, and Michel Bauza, Business France’s North Africa Director, underlined the institutional commitment to these cross-border partnerships.
Tunisia emerged as a strategic focus, particularly through its rapidly growing tech ecosystem and shared priorities with the Côte d’Azur. At the same time, Morocco was positioned as a gateway to the African continent, offering broader market access and solid infrastructure.
The collaboration between Nice and Tunisia is already bearing fruit. A cornerstone of this relationship is Novation City in Sousse, a digital transformation cluster with strong capabilities in artificial intelligence. Its ongoing cooperation with Team Nice Côte d’Azur, formalized at Viva Technology 2024, has opened up new avenues for joint research, startup support, and industrial applications.
In Nice, the innovation landscape is equally dynamic. Initiatives like Terra Numerica, developed in collaboration with Inria and 3IA Côte d’Azur, are strengthening local expertise in AI and digital sciences. These parallel ecosystems foster trans-Mediterranean collaboration between academia, industry, and public stakeholders — with the ambition of making the Mediterranean a tech-driven economic zone.
A Blue Economy Agenda Ahead of UNOC-3
Looking forward, the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3) scheduled from June 9–13, 2025 in Nice, adds a strategic environmental dimension to these partnerships. The discussions initiated in March were aligned with the upcoming conference’s priorities: coastal protection, marine biodiversity, and sustainable maritime innovation.
Supported by AVITEM, these exchanges aim to structure cooperation between Mediterranean cities around the blue economy — emphasizing joint actions in marine resource management and low-impact technologies. France’s support for the BBNJ treaty underscores the national commitment to this agenda, while Nice positions itself as a coordination hub.
April 2025: Two Strategic Missions, One Regional Ambition
Team Nice Côte d’Azur is set to take part in two major missions on the African continent this April, reinforcing its regional engagement. These two missions are organized by rising SUD, Region SUD and their partners.
Morocco 360: Technology Meets Market Access
From April 14–16, Audrey Brun, CEO of risingSUD will lead the South Region delegation at GITEX Africa in Marrakech, Africa’s leading innovation and tech event. The mission, titled “Maroc 360,” targets:
- B2B sessions with key Moroccan tech actors
- Co-exhibitions with international startups
- Access to local institutions and business networks through CFCIM
Morocco offers strategic advantages: 42% renewable energy in its electricity mix, first-class infrastructure, and a strong positioning as an African tech hub. The goal is to connect Azurian companies to a high-growth ecosystem and encourage inward investments to the Riviera.
Hervé Laubertie, CEO of Team Nice Côte d’Azur will represent the territory at this international event.
Tunisia: A Follow-Up to Long-Term Engagement
From April 22–24, Jean-François Chapperon will represent Team Nice Côte d’Azur at the Africa-France Forum for Ecological and Energy Transition (FTEE) in Tunis organized by Business France, the forum is a continuation of initiatives launched during the Tunisia Tech Tour in 2023 and solidified by the 2024 cooperation agreement with Novation City.
This forum focuses on:
- Clean energy and environmental innovation (a €15M budget allocated in Tunisia for 2024)
- High-growth digital sectors (+205% value increase between 2021 and 2023)
- Business matchmaking to connect African and French innovators
- France remains Tunisia’s top trade partner, providing a fertile ground for continued economic integration.
Positioning Nice Côte d’Azur as a Euro-Mediterranean Gateway
Through these dual missions, Team Nice Côte d’Azur reinforces its internationalization strategy and positions the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis as a gateway to Europe for North African innovators. These actions aim to:
- Attract high-potential investment projects to the region
- Promote the local tech and sustainability ecosystem to foreign markets
- Facilitate soft landing and scaling for startups from Morocco and Tunisia
Supported by institutional partners and local innovation actors, this approach reflects a pragmatic strategy: build strong, bilateral partnerships that serve regional ambitions and respond to global challenges.
