The kick-off meeting for the S-PARKS – Sustainable Business Parks project marks the operational launch of a European program, part of the Interreg France-Switzerland 2021-2027 program.

A foundational exchange for the project

This meeting laid the common groundwork for the S-PARKS project. Discussions focused on:

• Presenting the project’s objectives, its action plan, and the first steps to be taken
• Introducing the project team
• Networking between French and Swiss pilot sites
• The collective commitment of institutional and economic partners to the initiative

This first steering committee meeting thus marked the concrete launch of a dynamic of cross-border cooperation in the service of sustainable economic territories, with the presence of the President of Pays de Gex Agglo, Kimberley Mees-Ballmer, Director of the ECOPARC association, Christophe Machard, President of the PALME association, as well as all the institutional partners and French and Swiss pilot sites involved in the project.

S-PARKS: structuring more sustainable economic activity zones

The S-PARKS project is jointly led by two leading networks:

• PALME, the European network of sustainable business parks and territories,
• ECOPARC, a major player in Switzerland in supporting local authorities and businesses in moving towards sustainable urban and economic models.

Its ambition is to define a common and shared framework for the creation, management, and redevelopment of economic activity zones, based on criteria of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

The project covers a vast cross-border area:

• On the French side: the departments of Doubs, Ain, and Jura,
• On the Swiss side: the cantons of Neuchâtel, Jura, Bern, Vaud, and Fribourg.

Scheduled to run for 24 months (from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027), S-PARKS has a total budget of €1.2 million, including €150,000 dedicated to operational actions and small-scale works on the pilot sites.

A project in line with the priorities of the Pays de Gex

The participation of Pays de Gex Agglo in S-PARKS is fully in line with the strategic orientations of the territory, particularly in terms of:

• Sustainable economic attractiveness,
• Ecological and energy transition,
• Cross-border cooperation,
• And improving the quality of business parks for companies and employees.

This project gives the region access to innovative and proven methods and an international network of expertise and best practices, and helps to strengthen the Pays de Gex’s image as a region of responsible innovation. Ultimately, S-PARKS could also contribute to the creation of a sustainability label for business parks.

The Saint-Genis-Pouilly Technoparc, the project’s pilot site

In this context, Pays de Gex Agglo has proposed the Saint-Genis-Pouilly Technoparc as a pilot site, with no direct financial commitment for the local authority.

Historically linked to the scientific and technological ecosystem of CERN, the Technoparc is now home to nearly 100 companies and 1,100 jobs. It focuses on key issues in terms of governance, mobility, economic cooperation, and energy transition.

The S-PARKS project thus represents a concrete and operational opportunity to experiment with, structure, and enhance the business parks of the Pays de Gex, and in particular the Saint-Genis-Pouilly Technoparc.

To learn more about the Interreg France–Switzerland program, click HERE.