The Marine Techno Park (Technopôle de la Mer) is to consist of two locations in the outskirts of Toulon: Brégaillon and Ollioules. The park will be aimed at innovative businesses dedicated to advanced technology in the marine and maritime sectors, and will be managed by Toulon and the greater Toulon area (Toulon Provence Mediterranean or TPM). It will be the first in Europe focusing on maritime safety and security.
Technopôle de la Mer
The site at Ollioules is planned to cover 210,000 sq. m. and will be home to research laboratories and businesses. Its main sectors will cover maritime safety and security, marine biological resources, marine energy resources, environment and coastal development, water sports and luxury cruising. In addition, employees and users of the park will be provided with extensive services, including crèches, catering and health care.
The Ollioules project is to be complemented by the port facilities at Brégaillon. The site will house offices and warehouses and serve the needs of research conducted at sea. It will also have boat-launching facilities.
The port will be located next to the French Research Institute for the Exploration of the Sea (L'Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer), which in the coming years plans to build a European centre for submarine technology.
The Marine Techno Park is among ten key initiatives known collectively as the grand projet, which in the coming years will reshape the port of Toulon, in the Var area.
Pôle Mer PACA
At the heart of the Mediterranean, the Var offers excellent transports links to the rest of Europe by road or rail, as well as by sea. The area is already home to relevant institutions of higher education (University and engineering schools), laboratories and research centres, as well as the competitiveness cluster Pôle Mer PACA.
The cluster gained its current status in 2005 and has global ambitions to make the region of Provence-Alpes Côtes d’Azur an international centre of expertise in marine sciences, shipping and related environmental risk management. Current plans include the expansion of partners to include Languedoc-Roussillon and Corsica, and the group is already working close with its twin, the Pôle Mer Bretagne in northern France. The presence of the cluster provides an existing framework of exchange between future users of the techno park, from across businesses to research centres, laboratories and teaching institutions.
The 270 individual members of Pôle Mer PACA participate in innovative development in a wide range of fields: marine protection, the prevention of environmental risk, the ship-building industry, the offshore industry, renewable energy, durable aquaculture, blue bio-technology, port industry, the maritime service sector and the management of water in coastal areas. The cluster has conducted over 100 collaborative projects.
Several members are currently working to develop new technology (I2C), to improve sea border surveillance.
The cluster offers services and resources for research and development, incubation of innovative projects, business start-ups and for developing partnerships with industry and finance.
For more information on the area, please see our pages on Var Accueil Investisseurs (Var Invest) and the Marine Techno Park brochure (in PDF).
