La Plateforme is a digital and new technology school based in Marseille, offering a wide range of work-study courses for IT developers, cybersecurity experts, Artificial Intelligence specialists and innovation project managers at levels up to 5 years’ higher education. Tuition is free and open to all, with no age or diploma requirements. The school is open to everyone, regardless of their background or resources, and in particular to young people from priority neighbourhoods in the Marseilles area, where unemployment rates are high.

Founded in 2019 by Cyril Zimmermann, in partnership with the “Club Top 20” grouping the region’s major companies, the Platform has grown rapidly and now has 600 students. To support the Plateforme’s growth and ambitious development plan, and in conjunction with all the project’s public and private partners, such as the Agence Nationale pour la Rénovation Urbaine and Crédit Agricole Alpes Provence, Meridiam has decided to invest in the development of the Plateforme’s new higher education campus on the Euroméditerranée site in Marseille’s 15th arrondissement.

Located at the heart of the Euromed 2 development zone, this 18,000 m² campus will be able to accommodate and train more than 3,000 students by 2026. More than just a school, the new campus will be a real place to live, involving the renovation of 4 existing buildings and the construction of 2 new ones. It will also include a number of services for the benefit of the local community (cinema, auditorium, community grocery shop, etc.).

Through this investment, supported by the TURF (The Urban Resilience Fund) dedicated to urban resilience and designed in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, Meridiam aims to support a project that is exemplary in terms of its impact:

• Economically and socially, the project meets a recognised need in the south-east of France for initial and continuing training in digital and new technology professions. Through a model centred on apprenticeships, the Platform aims in particular to offer young people from the region’s priority urban neighbourhoods a pathway to qualification and employment.

• In urban terms, this new campus will be an emblematic element of the Euromed 2 regeneration and urban renewal programme in Marseille, which focuses on the environmentally-friendly conversion of industrial wasteland. Working alongside the Platform and local stakeholders, Meridiam will ensure that the site is fully integrated into its environment over the long term, and that it remains open to the neighbourhood and its residents.

• Finally, on the environmental front, priority will be given to sustainability and limiting the carbon footprint. The new campus will comply with the RE2020 standard and obtain BREEAM Very Good certification, the most demanding in terms of sustainability and environmental quality. The campus will also focus on energy efficiency, with the installation of photovoltaic panels and green roofs. The architectural design, construction and fitting-out of this new campus will emphasise the use of bio-sourced, environmentally-friendly materials (timber-framed facades and joinery, wood carpentry, etc.) and reuse.

The first works on the site are scheduled for the start of the 2023 academic year.