PUI MED’INNOV and Telecom Valley signed a partnership agreement on September 11, 2026 at the Pôle Alpha in Sophia Antipolis, alongside the PUI’s Strategic Innovation and Valorisation Commission (CIV).
A rapprochement between academic research and the digital business ecosystem, aimed at facilitating technology transfer from research, developing new collaborations and fostering the emergence of innovative companies on the territory.
Telecom Valley, a longstanding pillar of the French Riviera’s digital ecosystem, has brought together companies, startups, industrial players and higher education and research institutions around collaborative innovation and emerging technologies for over 30 years.
The signing took place during a strategic day for PUI MED’INNOV, which gathered its founding members, partners and stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem across the Corso-Azuréen territory for a review of ongoing actions and work on future directions.
A strategic day at the Pôle Alpha in Sophia Antipolis
The Pôle Universitaire d’Innovation MED’INNOV is one of 29 University Innovation Hubs (PUI) certified in France under the France 2030 programme to accelerate the transfer of research outcomes into the economy. It is led by Université Côte d’Azur and brings together, across the Corso-Azuréen territory, the leading higher education and research institutions, innovation support structures and technology transfer professionals, with a mission to bridge the gap between scientific discovery and the creation of companies and industrial solutions.
On September 11, 2026, MED’INNOV gathered its founding members, partners and ecosystem stakeholders at the Pôle Alpha in Sophia Antipolis. The day opened with two parallel working sessions: the Steering Committee, bringing together founding members and their representatives, and the Partnerships and Shared Innovation Unit, involving the operational teams engaged in the programme’s various actions. In the afternoon, the Strategic Innovation and Valorisation Commission provided an opportunity for founding members, partners and innovation stakeholders to discuss MED’INNOV’s strategic directions and review ongoing actions.
MED’INNOV and Telecom Valley formalise their partnership
The day was marked by the official signing of a partnership agreement between PUI MED’INNOV and Telecom Valley. The rapprochement is aligned with MED’INNOV’s core ambitions: strengthening the links between academic research and the business world, facilitating the transfer of research-born technologies and fostering the emergence and growth of innovative companies. It will also reinforce MED’INNOV’s foothold within the French Riviera’s technology ecosystem and open new collaboration opportunities around emerging technologies and deeptech.
“We are delighted to strengthen our ties with Telecom Valley, a major and unifying force within the French Riviera’s digital ecosystem. This partnership reflects a strong conviction: it is by bringing together talent, research, innovation and businesses that we can accelerate the journey from ideas to real-world solutions,” says Xavier Fernandez, Vice-President for Innovation and Valorisation at Université Côte d’Azur and head of PUI MED’INNOV.
“The accelerating pace of breakthrough technologies now demands a close and permanent partnership between the companies driving these emerging technologies, whether large groups or startups, and the research community, whether fundamental or close to practical applications, all serving a territory and its growth model. University Innovation Hubs were created precisely with this purpose of bringing together the stakeholders dedicated to this collaborative growth approach, and Telecom Valley naturally had to join this framework,” underlines Thierry Benmussa, Co-president of Telecom Valley.
An afterwork to extend the momentum
The signing was followed by an afterwork gathering for technology transfer and innovation professionals, organised with Recherche et Avenir and its RUE programme (Rapprochement Universités Entreprises). This networking session provided an opportunity to continue the exchanges and foster new collaborations between academic and economic stakeholders on the territory.
Embedded in a structured innovation ecosystem
With this partnership, PUI MED’INNOV gains an additional relay into the French Riviera’s digital business fabric, which counts more than 2,900 companies in the Alpes-Maritimes, with a strong concentration around Sophia Antipolis. A momentum that complements the existing ties with the local health ecosystem (Nice University Hospital, 3IA Côte d’Azur, IMREDD, Provence Côte d’Azur Business Incubator, Eurobiomed) and the territory’s flagship projects (RespirERA, ReBone, future Skin Institute).
Learn more
Telecom Valley: https://www.telecom-valley.fr/le-pui-medinnov-et-telecom-valley-signent-une-convention-de-partenariat/
PUI MED’INNOV: https://pui-medinnov.fr/2026/09/11/medinnov-renforce-sa-dynamique-strategique-et-partenariale-a-sophia-antipolis/
Sources: PUI MED’INNOV, Telecom Valley
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