Aix-Marseille, a dynamic digital ecosystem

19/01/2018
The digital sector is expanding rapidly, both in France and worldwide. The digital revolution has impacted all areas of our economy and continues to revolutionise companies’ practices as well as consumption patterns (McKinsey, 2014). It is therefore important to understand these changes which come with new jobs and new competences for companies to master.
This digital revolution entails radical changes both in how companies are organised and in their training requirements.

The Aix-Marseille region has embraced this digital evolution and has positioned itself as the driver for this new economy. The regional label French Tech, founded in 2014, accelerated the digital development in the region and Aix-Marseille French Tech (#AMFT) has become a key ecosystem.

The digital economy in the Aix-Marseille region today accounts for over 49,000 jobs spread between more than 7,000 companies with annual growth of 13%. This region is home to some leading companies in the sector such as Oxatis, Voyage Privé, Allopneus, Jaguar Networks, Wiko and Avis-vérifiés as well as countless start-ups.

The recent opening of The Camp in Aix-en-Provence - a campus focused on the town of tomorrow - increases and strengthens the regional network of business creators such as incubators and accelerators (e.g.: Marseille Innovation, KEDGE Accelerator - Daniel Carasso), meeting places (e.g.: La Coque) or business campuses (e.g.: Voyage Privé).

This regional influence has also gained international recognition. Out of 40 French start-ups selected to take part in the 2018 CES show in Las Vegas, half of them are from this region.

 

Other strategic and structural aspects behind this unique ecosystem are less known. Marseille is a global digital hub linking southern Europe with Africa, the Middle East and Asia with over 20,000km of underwater cables. All the internet connections for these countries pass through Marseille making it a favoured point for meetings and for digital companies to be based. 

This economic influence means a need for a lot of expertise in new digital careers. The MSc Digital Marketing & Sales is part of this dynamic and aims to train professionals to respond to this demand. This MSc fits perfectly into the regional ecosystem through its participation in French Tech but also due to its location on the KEDGE campus at Luminy and its special links with the KEDGE Accelerator - Daniel Carasso which sees numerous digital start-ups hatch and develop.

With a combination of professional knowledge, cutting edge academic expertise and a strong network of start-ups and major digital players, KEDGE’s MSc Digital Marketing & Sales course is perfectly positioned to respond to the needs of both companies and students.

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