The harbour of the future is being built in Toulon

While some business travellers are still lounging on the Côte d'Azur for a well-earned break, their future business destination may be just around the corner. In any case, Toulon is - at last - giving itself the means to make a real impact on the economic scene, to attract new investors, and to change a greying image that belies its record level of sunshine. While the city's shop window reflected the image of a city in slumber, local officials were working hard behind the scenes to get their hands on the land needed to redevelop the city centre. The symbol of this development is the Chalucet has traded in its hospital for a new centre, now home to the Beaux-Arts building and the Maison de la Créativité. It is home to the Kedge business school, as well as Camondo: the prestigious Parisian school has shown confidence in the Toulon project, and will be inaugurating its Camondo Méditerranée branch in 2019, also attached to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

Far from the cliché of rugby, cade and pétanque, Toulon has built up an increasingly solid reputation on the design scene, and in creativity in general, through investment and partnerships. In fact, that's what the local councillors have chosen to call this "A district for creativity and knowledge. This new centre is not the culmination of Toulon's ambitions, but the starting point for a vast metamorphosis. As an extension of this new complex - and in conjunction with the inauguration of the Halles in the heart of the city, early September -the Montéty project has also been launched.

" It's a former workers' housing estate, with its own history, but also its own future! It's a great place to be," explains Boris Bernabeu, Deputy Director of Services in the Regional Attractiveness Department of Toulon Provence Méditerranée. Within this block, which will be linked to the station area by a "Pont des Arts", the following are planned in particular training institutea hotela new-generation serviced residence incorporating co-working and co-livingand areas dedicated to the tertiary sector. The whole complex is complemented by a 16,000 m² park. A vast data centre is also expected nearby.

We're redesigning the Toulon of the 21st century with a highly structuring project

Did you say XXL project? The best is yet to be invented. Because Toulon is going to attack what gives the city its soul and character: its seafront at the heart of the city. The winners of the competition will be announced in September. "From Mayol to PipadyA particularly ambitious 44-hectare development project in the heart of the city centre. " We're redesigning the Toulon of the 21st century with a highly structuring project "promises Boris Bernabeu, adding: " Everything is on the table for make Toulon a city break and conference destination. Why not create a promenade, ramblas, restaurants, shopping areas, even a new convention centre and a maritime innovation centre with the Musée de la Marine and an aquarium? ". Boris Bernabeu continues: " The time for projects has finally arrived, and the desirability of Toulon, in particular, has been enhanced. with investorshas become a reality. This is illustrated in particular by the inauguration of the Okko, Place de la Liberté. We couldn't have had this hotel six or seven years ago, because the city hadn't yet reached maturity. ".

Clearly, Toulon is getting a new city centre, and even a new population... For several years now, more and more university sites have been inaugurated in the heart of the city, whereas for a long time they were 'exiled' to less central areas. And the trend is accelerating, giving a new dynamic to a city centre that has long been neglected. This gentrification should attract talented students, who until now have preferred towns with a higher profile in the university sector - and in student life... - such as Aix-en-Provence at regional level. Talented people who, once they have graduated, may well decide to continue their experience here, and also make their own contribution to the Toulon edifice, which is in the process of being rebuilt.

" In the 1990s, there were 3,000 students for 400,000 inhabitants in a conurbation that was not yet a conurbation: that was very low. Today, we have more than 16,000. It's still not enough, but it's already a big step forward. "says Patrick Valverde, Managing Director of Toulon Var Technologies (TVT). He continues: " We estimate that there are around 2,500 students in the digital sector in the city centre. At one time, our incubators were located outside the city. We realised that they were looking for urban areas, so we brought everything back to the city centre. ". " We need young people in the area: we need to be able to attract them for their studies and then keep them in Toulon. "says Boris Bernabeu at TPM.

This demographic change is accompanied by economic diversification. For too long confined to defence-related activities, Toulon's economy is now exploring new growth drivers. Without, however, denying its indestructible link with the sea and the arsenal. " At one time, in Toulon, you could only find not a single SME in the technology sector that was not dependent on defence, at least 80 %. Today, the opposite is true "says Patrick Valverde. " We are working on a 'dual' logic, using technologies that were linked to defence to move into digital, commerce, agriculture, etc. This is less traumatic in terms of dependence. It's less traumatic in terms of dependency. Both the sea and defence are cross-disciplinary areas "he continues.

Toulon has a whole range of start-ups that have been able to take advantage of the dynamism found in towns undergoing redevelopment, in town centres that are being rebuilt.

With its wealth of new talent and openness to new business sectors, Toulon has seen the emergence of an ecosystem of start-ups that the French Tech label has helped to structure in an increasingly favourable environment. " Toulon has a whole range of start-ups that have been able to take advantage of the dynamism that can be found in towns undergoing redevelopment, in town centres undergoing reconstruction, with the land opportunities offered by the free trade zone that have enabled companies to set up here. "says Boris Bernabeu at Métropole. " There is a dynamic around digital technology, which Toulon Var Technologies has been able to structure well, and which also involves a partnership that we like very much with national defence, embodied by the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA). The DGA needs research and innovation in strategic areas. An agreement was signed in 2018 to bring together the various players in joint projects. ". Jean Larroumets, who was recently appointed Chairman of French Tech Toulon, says: " The advantage of French Tech in Toulon is that we can draw on TVT's thirty years of expertise. Some towns have the French Tech label, but no structure or premises. Here, we have a lot of high quality, visible premises that focus energies. Chalucet and the Maison du numérique are just two examples. ".