Provence, attractive for central and digital corporate functions

Recap on the debate evening “What Alternative to Capital Cities? The Answer of Aix-Marseille-Provence in the South of France”

The event was hosted at the Paris headquarters of Onepoint, a digital transformation consulting firm. Provence Promotion, Euroméditerranée, CMA CGM, and Bouygues Immobilier opened the debate on relocating central and digital corporate functions outside of capital cities.

Beyond its postcard appeal, Provence has assets that position it among the most competitive of major French and global cities.

The evening debate, which took place on July 6, brought together some sixty decision makers and opinion leaders. The economic and social vitality of Aix-Marseille-Provence was illustrated by two projects that are helping to build a decision-making center in the southern French metropolis: the Mirabeau Tower with its commercial opportunities and the opening of the Onepoint campus in Aix-en-Provence.

Provence is clearly not Paris region, said Philippe Stéfanini, general manager of the economic development agency Provence Promotion, but this area is fast becoming attractive to companies and talent.

France’s second largest metropolis with over 1.8 million inhabitants, 200,000 businesses, and 5.5 million square meters of office space, Aix-Marseille-Provence has potential based on objective assets and a positive and inclusive dynamic.

Two roundtables, led by Business Immo president Sandra Roumi, brought new insights to the audience attending: one on the region’s offer, the other on feedback from users who have chosen to relocate their central and digital functions to Aix-Marseille.

Among the main themes addressed was the diversified economy of the region, which has a port and an international airport. “There is not just one specific dominant industry, but six whose economic weight is roughly equivalent,” explained Philippe Stéfanini in his speech, citing maritime and logistics, aeronautics and naval, digital, health, energy, and tourism. An advantage that new businesses can take advantage of.

Mediterranean strengths

Establishing central and digital functions in Aix-Marseille means seizing the opportunity for managers to open themselves up to the Mediterranean and African markets. Business relations are facilitated by geographical proximity and a common commercial history.

The urban renewal of the region is also attached to this strong Mediterranean identity. The Euroméditerranée national interest initiative, which has led to the construction of a business district in Marseille, is now focusing on the creation of a sustainable city model in the Mediterranean whose objective is to preserve the environment and quality of life of its inhabitants.

The Etablissement Public d’Aménagement is committed to sustainable innovation, for example by tackling the problem of urban heat islands and promoting the implementation of sustainable marine geothermal solutions such as seawater loops to cool and heat buildings. “Whether in energy, transportation, or construction, Euroméditerranée has become a real urban industrial lab for businesses,” said Stéphane Ghio, director of economic development and innovation at Euroméditerranée.

Aix-Marseille: A human capital for digital transformation

To further attract foreign talent and encourage French expatriate executives to return, Euroméditerranée is also focusing on education.

“The opening of an international school near the CMA CGM Tower strengthens the appeal of Aix-Marseille. An international education offer is a major criterion for executives who wish to return to France and for business leaders settling in the country,” said Philippe Stéfanini.

Alongside existing schools such as Epitech and Kedge Business School, six new schools are scheduled to open within the Euroméditerranée area, including the future Mediterranean Institute of Cities and Territories (IMVT) and a platform dedicated to digital professions (coding, AI, cybersecurity). Gradually, training courses are being added to the existing curricula of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis and Aix-Marseille University. This pool of talent, trained in the region, aims to relieve current tensions on a number of recruitments, particularly in the digital field.

In a world that is necessarily becoming increasingly digital, the region is already planning ahead for the massive use of Big Data in business. The telecom infrastructure is constantly growing. Thanks to a new submarine landing station developed by the Marseille Fos Maritime Port, the area will be able to accommodate thirty new communication cables.

Currently the world’s seventh largest internet hub with fifteen undersea fiber optic cables and a very competitive cost for data transfer, Aix-Marseille is preparing to reach fifth place in international connectivity with the commissioning of two new cables that will further reduce latency times between Europe, Asia, and Africa.

New demographic trends

From the standpoint of users, changes in location strategies have emerged ever since the pandemic lockdowns. Companies’ location choices are now dictated more by criteria related to quality of life and working in an attractive environment.

Laurent Sorbier, advisor to the president and partner of Onepoint, spoke about this at the second roundtable. Their decision to relocate to Aix-en-Provence in a historic building, the Villa Darius Milhaud, responds to these changes. The site will serve as a culture and education hub as well as a place of work.

“To recruit the best talent, we need to totally rethink the office to make it a stimulating place for dialogue, and we believe that the winning combination is to bet on an innovative territory, which trains its own talent and has the assets to welcome new ones from all over the world,” said Laurent Sorbier.

Spirit of innovation

This approach was also described by Guillaume Bean, director of the real estate construction division of CMA CGM, and Quentin Le Prince, director of development for corporate real estate at Bouygues Immobilier, through the construction of the Mirabeau Tower, a state-of-the-art building with many user-friendly spaces.

“The Mirabeau Tower is a positive-impact project within its ecosystem. Connected to the Thassalia seawater loop, the building with its bioclimatic facade will be doubly certified by the highest international standards Breeam Very Good and HQE building. It is located in an environment with extensive services (restaurants, shops, gyms, etc.) and offers a remarkable working environment with an exceptional view over the Mediterranean Sea,” explained Quentin Le Prince.

CMA CGM, which actively supports talent, is very attached to the region, where it was founded and grew into being the world’s third largest shipping group.

“The CMA CGM adventure is of course a success story, with 150,000 employees worldwide, including 3,000 in Marseilles, the hosting of its subsidiaries in the region with the example of Ceva Logistics, which the group bought in 2019, and the desire to make the region a center of innovative excellence,” said Guillaume Béan. In 2018, the group created ZEBOX, an accelerator and incubator for international start-ups. And in March 2022 the group announced the construction of a center of excellence for future sustainable transport and logistics in the Pointe Rouge district of Marseille. This place, named Tangram, is slated to open its doors in 2023. It will bring together students, experts, and newcomers to the group alongside researchers, customers, and partners.

Video on the attractiveness of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis