Software/Digital Services/Consulting

Provence is Home to a State-of-the-Art Software Sector

The Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region features the third-largest software and IT services sector in France with 21 000 employees and 1500 companies. The ecosystem is home to businesses with diverse specialties including pure player developers, software providers, software and computer engineering firms, and IT services companies.

With specialized tech companies in software and app development, Aix-Marseille-Provence has the on-site expertise to support digital strategies and boost online performance for all economic sectors (aeronautics, retail, logistics, industry, health services...).

The software and IT sector in Provence is driven by a network of small businesses devoted to niche technology such as Mail in Black, Enovacom, Softway Medical, or Clip Industrie, as well as larger companies such as Talentia Software and Cegid Quadratus that are focused on broader markets such as human resources, management, and invoicing. There is also a growing presence of businesses focused on cloud computing such as Software As A Service (SaaS).

The software and IT sector growth is propelled by Provence’s tremendous quality of life that makes it easy to attract and retain top international talent, as well as by the territory’s openness to the world that allows companies to quickly develop an international presence and easily reach global markets.

Key Figures for the Software and IT Sector in Provence

• €2.5 billion in annual turnover;
• 5.4% of all French employees in the sector.

Provence's Software and IT Advantage

• An exceptional telecommunications network and top data infrastructure: #1 European hub in terms of connection points for submarine communications cables, the area also provides cutting-edge connection, hosting, and data storage services that can be adapted to all types and sizes of businesses.

• A profound commitment to accelerating the digitalization of businesses and services in Provence, notably through:

- A network of smart city projects including the Euroméditerannée development and the thecamp innovation campus that are creating opportunities for software and IT companies in such domains as transport, energy management, real-time information systems, and data security.

- Extensive work by the public and private sector to encourage the adoption of digital technologies with initiatives like the partnership between Google and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Marseille Provence to organize events aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses in their digitalization processes, or the work by done by Manageo, the French leader in data base activation, in their management of the national oversight committee on the digitalization of French businesses.

- Pioneering business intelligence systems using access to public data bases and open data sources as well as multiple private R&D initiatives such as the Jaguar Network business unit. The regional open data partner Open PACA contains close to 700 public data sets that the area maintained through partnerships with 40 different organizations. This data pool is an enormous asset for companies seeking to develop new digital applications and tools.

• An interconnected tech community with dedicated support systems, including:

- The Secured Communicating Solutions competiveness cluster brings together major actors in the regional digital economy.  The cluster supports innovation and the commercialization of technology, encourages partnerships and collaborations, and creates synergies between companies and business sectors.

- Medinsoft, a Mediterranean-wide network of software developers that brings together more than 160 businesses from the digital economy including software publishers, systems integrators, IT consultants, and infrastructure providers. As part of the French Tech collaboration, this network encourages the exchange of expertise.

- Aix-Marseille French Tech, which offers start-ups a broad array of tools and support systems to develop their projects, including access to a network of established professionals, major industry events such as French Tech Week and the Forum Medinjob, and guidance from emerging tech leaders in the area such as Wiko or Voyage Privé.