Initiative of Excellence


 
 


The Initiative d'Excellence is a national label obtained by Université Côte d'Azur in 2016 as part of the Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir (PIA) and renewed in 2021 following an evaluation by an international jury that has monitored the project over the last 5 years. Thanks to its Initiative of Excellence (IdEx), the Université Côte d'Azur is positioning itself as a world-class, research-intensive university offering excellent training in innovative sectors with a strong international reputation.

The IdEx: a growth accelerator for the Université Côte d'Azur

The IdEx: a growth accelerator for the Université Côte d'Azur

Designed to contribute to the ambitions of the future investment programme (PIA) and then the France 2030 investment plan, the Université Côte d'Azur's Initiative d'Excellence, a genuine lever for transformation, is a growth accelerator that aims to :

Strengthen the positioning of a university of excellence that is cross-disciplinary, attractive and world-renowned,
Develop partnerships between the excellence of its research teams and the innovation potential of the local ecosystem, in order to contribute to the region's growth dynamic,
Helping to ensure that training courses are based on this research excellence.

Genesis of the Université Côte d'Azur IdEx project

Genesis of the Université Côte d'Azur IdEx project

In 2016, the Communauté d'Université et d'Établissements (ComUE) Université Côte d'Azur was awarded the coveted ‘Initiative d'Excellence’ (IdEx) label as part of the Programme d'Investissement d'Avenir (PIA 2), following the rigorous selection of its project by the international jury. After a 4-year probationary period, during which Université Côte d'Azur and its partners have been able to implement the initial project and realise their ambition to position the Côte d'Azur as one of France's nine research-intensive universities of excellence with a strong international reputation, and following the final evaluation by the international jury in 2021, the French government has decided to confirm its support for the Université Côte d'Azur IdEx.

Key dates
What is now the Université Côte d'Azur Initiative of Excellence has seen a number of key milestones in its history.

2016
The first objective was to create a new model for a research-intensive university on the Côte d'Azur, with international visibility and a strong local base. Interdisciplinarity has emerged as the key lever for increasing the level of excellence and innovation of the group formed by the members of the Université Côte d'Azur, around the core university, so that it can be identified and recognised as a world-class university, a decisive component of a region with the ambition of positioning itself among the major European and international sites.

2020
By succeeding in this challenge, the Université Côte d'Azur has been given the status of an experimental public institution, which has led to the joint demise of the ComUE UCA and the Université Nice Sophia Antipolis and the creation of the Université Côte d'Azur.

The external recognition and internal confidence provided by this major label, the IdEx, have created a leverage effect that has led to other successes within the Investment Programmes for the Future (PIA), highlighting the site's level of scientific excellence, the success of its cross-disciplinary strategy and the credibility of its partnership base with all the players in the region, particularly the local authorities and businesses that structure it. A growing number of major international groups, as well as SMEs and start-ups, are now turning to the University and its partners to strengthen their capacity for innovation and to welcome new talent to their ranks, graduates of the Université Côte d'Azur.

Finally, this IdEx dynamic has enabled Université Côte d'Azur to scale up its international and European ambitions, as illustrated by the award of a European University project - Ulysseus, the establishment of privileged partnerships with other world-class universities, the co-construction of campuses abroad and growing participation in networks of influence and scientific diplomacy.

2021

The continued existence of the ‘Initiative of Excellence’ label means that the Université Côte d'Azur will become the world-class university that the Côte d'Azur needs to successfully transform its growth model to meet the major challenges of the 21st century.

Following its perpetuation in 2021 by decision of the Prime Minister, the members of the Université Côte d'Azur Excellence Initiative wished to have a dedicated university foundation to steer and manage it, so as to give the IdEx the autonomy and agility it needs to achieve this objective, the outlines of which are set out in the devolution agreement between the University and the State. To this end, on 1 January 2022, the Université Côte d'Azur created the ‘IdEx Université Côte d'Azur’ university foundation with founders from the original IdEx consortium. The mission of the foundation is to manage the funds allocated to the IdEx by any means that contribute to achieving this objective.

IdEx structures
IdEx structures
research program
research program
Pedagogy and Innovative Education Program
Pedagogy and Innovative Education Program
Innovation program
Innovation program
International and Europe program
International and Europe program
Members and partners
Members and partners
Supported actions
Supported actions
Labelled projects
Labelled projects
Calls for proposals
Calls for proposals


NEWS

INSIGHTS

insights
insights
INSIGHTS, the magazine of the Université Côte d'Azur's Initiative d'Excellence (IdEx), highlights the people and places emblematic of our site's research excellence, as well as providing an overview of IdEx actions in international development, training and innovation, through various sections such as the Pitch Challenge, Projets à la Une and Out of the Box. A special feature in each issue is devoted to research work and contributes to our thematic signature.

Discover the editions of INSIGHTS :