on the June 17, 2024
Polytech Nice Sophia, the Polytechnic Engineering School of the Université Côte d'Azur and a member of the Polytech network, is celebrating forty years of engineering training this year. To mark this milestone, a series of events took place throughout the academic year, including a "Soirée Prestige" on the SophiaTech Campus. This special event featured a lecture on innovation by Philippe Boulanger, an alumnus of the school and expert in innovation strategy.
A rich and evolving history
40 years ago, at the height of the IT revolution in the 80s, Sophia Antipolis was home to major companies such as Air France, France Telecom (now Orange) and Thomson (now Thales), as well as attracting American giants such as IBM and Accenture. In 1983, against this dynamic backdrop, the DESS Sciences Informatiques de l'Ingénieur was born, thanks to a collaboration between École des Mines, Inria and the Université de Nice Sophia Antipolis.
In 1985, this program evolved into ESSI (École Supérieure en Sciences Informatiques), the university's in-house engineering school. In 1991, the university created ESINSA (École Supérieure d'Ingénieurs de Nice Sophia Antipolis), focusing on microelectronics, telecommunications and signal processing.
In 2005, Polytech Nice Sophia was born from the merger of ESSI, ESINSA and the Magistère de Pharmacologie.
A year of celebrations
Throughout the 2023/2024 academic year, a number of events have been organized under the banner of 40 years of engineering training. These included conferences, workshops, alumni reunions and collaborations with industrial partners. Each occasion highlighted the evolution of the school, its successes and the contributions of its partners.
Soirée Prestige: a highlight
The "Soirée Prestige" was the highlight of the celebrations.
Polytech Nice Sophia celebrated its anniversary in the company of its most loyal partners and companies. As a thank you for all their support, we shared a convivial and inspiring moment with our guests.
Philippe Boulanger, an alumnus of the school who has worked at IBM and Apple, gave a captivating talk on the cognitive and societal brakes on innovation.
Philippe highlighted the crucial challenges facing companies in a constantly changing world. He emphasized the importance of innovation as a driver of prosperity and survival. It is also a reminder that collaboration between industry and academic research is essential to build an innovative and prosperous future. The conference was introduced by Michel Koenig, Philippe Boulanger's thesis supervisor, adding a personal and historical dimension to this memorable event.
In closing the evening, Alexandre Caminada - the school's director - also paid tribute to Jean Cea, the founding father of ESSI, reminding us of the importance of preserving the heritage and values that unite the Polytech Nice Sophia community.
Looking to the future
Polytech Nice Sophia plays a central role in the region's economic and technological dynamism, thanks to close partnerships with local companies and research institutions.
The school graduates over 300 students a year, 60% of whom stay on to work in the region, and 40% on the Sophia Antipolis site.
The school's management, along with the entire teaching and administrative team, are committed to continuing to innovate, diversify programs and strengthen international collaborations to train tomorrow's engineers.
Let's celebrate 40 years of success and look optimistically to the decades to come: Imagine the future at Polytech Nice Sophia!
