A Shared Economic Horizon Between Nice Côte d’Azur and Canada
On March 25, 2025, a Canadian diplomatic delegation visited Nice, marking a new phase in the strategic relationship between the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis and Canada. Organized in close coordination with Team Nice Côte d’Azur, this encounter reflected the increasing depth of economic dialogue between the two territories.
The Canadian delegation, led by Nadia Burger, Deputy Ambassador of Canada to France, included Thierry Weissenburger, Senior Trade Commissioner, and Louise Chalifour, Honorary Consul of Canada for the Région Sud. On the French side, local leadership was represented by Grégory Dubois (Economic Development Director, Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur), Yvan Villani (Secretary General of the Metropolitan Development Council), and Hervé Laubertie, General Director of Invest in Côte d’Azur – Team Nice Côte d’Azur.
This meeting aimed to activate economic synergies in fields such as innovation, sustainable industries, and territorial attractiveness. It also reaffirmed the strategic role of Nice Côte d’Azur as a platform for Canadian businesses looking to access Southern Europe and Mediterranean markets.
One concrete outcome of this meeting is the prospective participation of a Canadian business delegation at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC-3), to be held in Nice from June 9 to 13, 2025.
This event, gathering international stakeholders around ocean preservation and sustainable development, offers a relevant platform for Canadian companies working on blue economy and green technologies.
Canada’s long-standing commitment to ocean governance aligns with France’s role in promoting the BBNJ treaty and fostering global marine biodiversity initiatives. Nice, as host city, presents itself as a natural bridge for collaborative solutions between both nations.
Spotlight on Quebec: Connecting Through Creative Industries
Two days later, on March 27, 2025, Axelle Xerri, representative of Team Nice Côte d’Azur, took part in the Rencontres Excellence Québec in Paris — an event co-hosted by the Délégation Générale du Québec à Paris and Investissement Québec International.
This forum focused on the cultural and creative industries (CCI), a domain where Quebec and Nice Côte d’Azur share complementary assets. Key speakers included Henri-Paul Rousseau, Delegate General of Quebec in Paris, and Julien Cormier, Senior Economic and Trade Advisor, highlighting the strong potential for co-development projects.
The event also connected Team Nice Côte d’Azur with leading Quebec-based CCI companies such as Moment Factory, Triotech, Urbania Media, Stimulation Déjà Vu Inc., Connect&GO, and GSM Project — many of which are exploring European expansion strategies.
This renewed connection follows the economic mission to Quebec led by Team Nice Côte d’Azur in October 2024, and precedes a new delegation visit to Montréal in May 2025, during which the team will attend the C2 Montréal event — one of the world’s most dynamic business forums at the intersection of commerce and creativity.
Nice Côte d’Azur Has Made Strong Moves to Become a European Hub for CCI
- The revitalization of the Studios de la Victorine, an emblematic film production site
- The opening of ISART Digital Nice, a major video game and digital arts campus
- An active policy from the Métropole to attract international creative talent and investment
These developments make the territory an attractive destination for Quebec companies seeking access to the European market, with a shared cultural sensibility and operational synergies across media, gaming, design, and immersive technologies.
The March meetings with Canadian and Quebec stakeholders underscore Team Nice Côte d’Azur’s evolving international strategy: engage in sustained dialogue, identify shared innovation priorities, and mobilize action through major upcoming forums.
Through a two-pronged approach — blue economy and creative industry collaboration — Nice Côte d’Azur positions itself as a transatlantic partner of choice for Canadian ecosystems.
