On February 24th, the international GREENinMED team met in Nice, France, for a study visit to get to know innovative technology facilities in the area. The GREENinMED project, a collaboration between partners from Spain, France, and Israel, aims to make the Mediterranean tourism industry more sustainable through a series of actions promoting innovative sustainable solutions to on-the-ground challenges in water and energy consumption by hospitality businesses. 

Visit of Smart Building Unity Real Estate Development Program

At the heart of the Grand Arénas, an international business district located in the Eco-Vallée at the Côté d'Azur in Nice, the Unity Real Estate Program established by the developer Nacarat, includes two hotels (3 and 4 stars), offices, and shops. 

Here, Dalkia, an energy service company, subsidiary of the French EDF Group, is designing and building an intelligent energy system based on smart grids, making it possible to supply the building block with heating, domestic hot water, and air conditioning by 50% of locally produced renewable energies thanks to solar thermal panels and aerothermal energy (recovery of calories in the outside air). An intelligent energy storage system will also enable production to match consumption on a real time basis.

For a greater efficiency, Dalkia Smart Building is also installing an energy recovery device on elevators, and equipping 19 parking spaces with electric charging stations – in partnership with Sodetrel.

Meeting with Paulo Moura, the Head of Innovation of IMREDD – Mediterranean Institute of Environmental Risk and Sustainable Development
Created in January 2020, IMREDD focuses on a specific societal challenge: smart and resilient territories facing all kinds of environment related risks.

IMREDD develops its activities around four strategic activity areas: energy through smart building/district issues, mobility, risks, the environment and the human dimension. The philosophical, ethical, safety, well-being, behavior, uses, etc. aspects are at the heart of smart city projects.

IMREDD's mission, in relation to the economic world, is to stimulate cooperative research/transfer actions, to create initial and continuous training, and to promote expertise and innovation in companies at the service of economic development and job creation. It expresses its potential in its ability to encourage the emergence and development of projects aimed at understanding existing solutions, new needs, and development prospects. In each area of strategic activity, its action consists of identifying areas for innovation and integrating expertise from the academic and business worlds.

During the visit, the GREENinMED partners had the opportunity to discover IMREDD’s training and vocational offer, as well as the open collaborative technological platform called Smart City Innovation Centre which encourages experimentation, and supports innovative sectors by opening up the possibility of carrying out trials, tests and prototypes.

The study visit was a great opportunity for all partners to get acquainted with new innovative solutions, and discuss their possible application in the tourism sector.