What do the media and communications school Audencia SciencesCom, the TV station Télénantes, a press club, an incubator and a communications agency all have in common? As of September 2017, they are all headquartered at Nantes' Mediacampus and together, they are transforming their industry. Manager Estelle Prusker reflects, "In a very virtual environment, this physical space was the missing piece."
Shared Space
Audencia's 450 communications and business students have access to five floors of educational innovation classrooms, co-working spaces and brand new TV and radio studios. Florence Touzé, Audencia SciencesCom's head of brand communications, notes that the school's business partners "want to get to know this generation in order to understand their behavior and relationship with the media."
The cross-fertilization among courses, skills and facilities at the Mediacampus is what makes it unique. Marion Andro, co-director of the communications agency Alphacoms, reports, "Beyond the space and the location, the idea of being part of a collective dedicated to our evolving industry won us over. The facilities allow us to expand our offerings and being around experts encourages curiosity and facilitates industry monitoring."
Home Improvements
The Mediacampus is working to foster a shared culture and a sense of belonging. "The workspace is much more comfortable than the old one and the Internet works!" notes Master's degree student Solenn, but "we don't have much contact with the businesses yet." Télénantes director Dominique Luneau comments, "We opened our daily editorial meetings to students but so far no one has come."
Neighborhood Associations
Of the Mediacampus' €16 million price tag, €4.2 was provided by Audencia Business School and the government funded the rest. The revitalization of the formerly industrial Isle of Nantes is a political priority. For Francky Trichet, mayoral aide for innovation and digital technology, "It's an urban project that combines culture, economic development and higher education."
