The OIR strategic sector program: the Region Sud and risingSUD are boosting the regional economy

07 November 2024

At the initiative of the Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, the OIR program was set up in 2016 to support eight key strategic sectors for the region. When announced, the program announced it aimed to meet several goals by 2028:

- Mobilize €2 billion of public-private investment, 

- Attract 500 international investment projects 

- Create or maintain 80 000 jobs throughout the region

 

Promising initial results

 

The eight strategic sectors that make up the OIR program are Natural Living, Smart Tech, Industry of the Future, Energies of Tomorrow, Innovative Healthcare, Blue Economy, Tourism and Creative Industries, and the Silver Economy. These regional areas of excellence were chosen for their competitive potential in terms of innovation, growth, and employment. For each of these sectors, the OIR program brings together the region’s public and private economic stakeholders and coordinates their efforts to concentrate financial and institutional resources to strengthen companies and ecosystems.

 

As part of its economic development mission, risingSUD is supporting the OIR strategic sectors. In partnership with the firm EY, the agency deploying a system designed to help structure and finance projects and companies that are crucial to the region.

 

Under this system, all facets of a project are analyzed: strategic positioning, services or goods being offered, business model, legal structure, financing plan, etc. Support from risingSUD and EY experts helps structure projects and facilitates investment. The centerpiece of the scheme is the CoFI financing meetings, which are organized twice a year to select and prepare business leaders and project promoters to pitch in front of more than 250 public and private financiers (banks, business angels, foundations, investment funds, etc.).

 

Eight years after the OIR program was set up, this ambitious initiative is bearing fruit:

- 194 projects supported

- €777 million of investment secured (around 50% public funds and 50% private funds)

- 84 high-impact companies presented to CoFI, with more than €156 million secured (around 20% public funds and 80% private funds)

 

In addition, since 2016, 733 international direct investment projects have been launched in the region, more than 50% of which are connected to one of the eight strategic sectors.

 

The Region Sud and risingSUD are continuing to boost the OIR program and are focused on two challenges: working to integrate social and environmental components into the program and expanding the CoFI system to increase resources.

 

For more innovative business insights, join us on December 5 at SOFT in Marseille!

 

To learn more, read the risingSUD media release (in French)

 

risingSUD contacts: Sébastien CLOUZET, Director of the Territories & Financial Engineering Division & Virginie VIAL-ISNARD, Project Manager for Media Relations and Communications