Bordeaux Technowest vise deux nouvelles antennes en 2022
With an annual budget of 2.7 million euros, two-thirds funded by local authorities and one-third by private funding, Bordeaux Technowest already supports 80 startups in Gironde. The incubator created in 1989 has thus opened seven sites over the years, all located on the left bank of the Bordeaux metropolis, and an 8th branch dedicated to foodtech and winetech in Libourne at the start of 2021.
But in 2022, François Baffou, the general manager, finally plans to expand his territorial network on the right bank of the agglomeration with the creation of two new incubators for startups. The first should see the light of day in the 1st quarter in partnership with the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux (GPMB), which is thus continuing its strategy of opening up to the territory initiated two years ago by its Managing Director Jean-Frédéric Laurent.
A center dedicated to innovation
“The objective is to welcome around ten startups within two years to work on the naval, port and estuary trades with issues such as surveillance, security, bathymetry [ la science de la mesure des profondeurs et du relief de l’océan] or energy and in particular hydrogen “, specifies François Baffou to La Tribune, who intends to structure more broadly “a center dedicated to innovation and digital transformation not only with the port but also all the companies that work there, like we do in aeronautics and space around Aéroparc”.
This 9th Bordeaux Technowest branch should work on two feet with premises dedicated to the GPMB headquarters on the left bank, in Bacalan, and a site on the right bank, at the heart of the port facilities to be in direct contact with professionals and their staff. problems, in particular on the hydrogen production project.
The green economy in connection with the 3rd IOM
A little further on the right bank – the location has not yet been decided – Technowest’s 10th installation will see the light of day in the second half of 2022 in close connection with the 3rd IOM (operation of metropolitan interest) which is underway. elaboration. Formalized in early 2020, the scope and content of this IOM have not yet been officially decided, but it should revolve around the professions of ecological transition and thermal renovation. Themes that the incubator logically takes to its own account for its future establishment as confirmed by François Baffou: “The objective is to work on the trades and the challenges of the green economy, decarbonation, thermal renovation of buildings but also the circular economy, reuse and renewable energies and, possibly the silver economy. . Everything that forms the economy of the transition. “
Themes which overlap with those of certain existing establishments – La Source in Bordeaux, Newton in Bègles, the Blanquefort and Copernic ecopark in Saint-Médard-en-Jalles – but the idea is to seek transversality. “Beyond the theme, it is a process of territorial networking of the metropolis to allow entrepreneurs from the right bank to have a local reception and support center”, underlines the general manager.
Focus on sport and health
Finally, it is not an eleventh establishment but Bordeaux Technowest also considers the theme of health and sport in partnership with the Bordeaux-Mérignac sports clinic. In December, this will inaugurate the Medical Stadium, a 6,000 m2 complex operational since the start of the school year and dedicated to the health of athletes, especially professionals. “A space within the Medical Stadium should be dedicated to startups so that they have direct access to healthcare professionals to test their innovations”, forecasts François Baffou.