Plan Campus – The EIB is Financing the Extension and Modernization of Aix Marseille Universite (AMU) to the Tune of € 127 million.

A New step is being taken to expand and modernize Aix Marseille University (AMU): Mr Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice-President, European Union Bank and Mr Yvon Berland, President of Aix- Marseille University signed a financing contract worth € 127 million under particularly favorable financial conditions thanks to the Bank’s triple A rating, which will optimize and consolidate the entire financial package for Investments of the AMU campuses.

As early as 2014, a memorandum of understanding – the first one in France – was signed between the two entities, following the selection of Aix Marseille Université among the 13 universities awarded the Campus Plan in France, marking the strong mobilization of the EIB To support this university and this Plan as a whole for which the Bank has mobilized 1.3 billion euros.

This European funding will help accompany the development program of the “Operation Aix-Marseille University campus” with in particular the renovation and modernization of the campuses of “Luminy” in Marseille and “d’Aix-quarter of Faculties “in Aix-en-Provence.

This is a major project which will completely reconfigure the student life in terms of the restructuring of the buildings and the capacity of reception, improvement of teaching conditions, research and the provision of services. 000 students will be beneficiaries within AMU’s various campuses. The new configuration will offer modern sites with international standards, structured, identified, scientifically coherent and renovated in order to bring as many as possible to the challenge of higher education and professional integration in a context of international competition.

Yvon Berland, President of Aix-Marseille Université “The modernization and attractiveness of Aix-Marseille Université is based on the close links we have with our socio-economic partners in order to raise our campuses to international standards”

“This funding is a strong signal of our action in favor of young people,” said Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice-President, during the signing ceremony. It is our responsibility to give universities the means to develop and modernize in order to train and attract many talents. They will thus be more competitive at European and international level. The Bank of the European Union thus helps young people from college to university to give them the best chance of training, employment and thus professional success. “

The Pauliane eco campus: a first in France!

This European funding will also make it possible to secure the last operation of the campus plan: the construction of the Pauliane eco campus south of the city of Aix-en-Provence, which has already received High Environmental Quality certification. “HQE Aménagement” aims to carry out operations integrated into their territories, whose environmental impacts, evaluated throughout the life cycle, are the most controlled and promote economic, social and quality of life .

In partnership with the PACA region, the city of Aix-en-Provence, the Rectorat and the CROUS, the faculty of eco-management will be established on the Pauliane site. The objective is to consolidate all the research and training courses in economics and management (except IAE) in a single site. The Pauliane site, with an area of ​​more than three hectares, has been retained for the rehabilitation and / or construction of seven operations related to the creation of the new eco-campus:

• Development of the site’s exteriors (City of Aix-en-Provence)
• Indoor landscaping (AMU and CROUS)
• Building dedicated to teaching and administration (AMU)
• MEGA building, house dedicated to research (AMU)
• Student Housing (CROUS)
• University library (AMU)
• Cafeteria (CROUS)

This funding is fully in line with the EIB’s priority action for the education and training of young people. The EIB also signed a € 250 million financing for the renovation and modernization of the PACA region. In 2016, this priority represented an overall investment of € 705 million.