cité des sciences

Research and innovation are the driving forces behind the “Cité des Sciences” (City of Science) and are the strategic pillars of the Belval site’s future development. The Innovation cluster in the middle of the industrial remains symbolises the continuity in scientific and technical progress at the site. It is the centrepiece of the site and includes the Biotech building, the “Maison de l’Innovation” (House of Innovation) and the “Incubateur d’entreprises”  (Business Incubator). The Incubateur d’entreprises incorporates newly established companies and aims to enhance their growth opportunities by providing support and premises. This means flexible floor space and an appropriate infrastructure network. The Incubator, managed by Technoport S.A., is housed in a 1970s building that showcases the know-how of plant engineers of that time. Listed in the Additional list of National Sites and Monuments, the building with the former furnace workers’ changing rooms maintains its original characteristics while complying with new requirements. The architectural approach underlines the industrial nature of the structure, as well as the various construction phases and the resulting eclecticism, while still maintaining discrete interventions in order to preserve overall harmony.