Innovating today to create the Var of tomorrow
The Département du Var celebrates innovation and research. This action is part of a broader vision, "Var, terre d'innovation". We want to...
The Prix de l'innovation et de la Recherche du Var is a flagship initiative of the Département, aiming to promote innovation at the heart of our territory and close to its inhabitants. Its goal is to reveal the Var of tomorrow by honoring its pioneering talents and new models of territorial development. "This action is part of a broader vision, 'Var, terre d'innovation', which weaves a strategic link between public policies, research, training, artificial intelligence, and economic activities, always serving the territory and the Varois.
The Var is an attractive land of innovation, accessible to all and everywhere. The ultimate goal is to highlight the influence and dynamism of the Var through the innovative projects of its local actors and the bold initiatives led by the Département. We want to highlight our talents and all the actors who shape this dynamic on our territory,' explains Laetitia Quilici, Vice-President of the Département, in charge of Digital Technology, Higher Education, Research, and Innovation.
CATALYST Successfully launched on October 28, 2024, the Prix de l'Innovation et de la Recherche du Var has demonstrated its capacity to highlight projects essential for the future of the Var. These initiatives, which are innovative, exemplary, and replicable, such as Économie, Thiercelieux, Blue vital, Super Serre, or Génération 8. 3 foster the emergence of local ecosystems conducive to sustainable and solidary development.
They respond to strong ambitions: innovating to live better, produce better, and better understand the world, by concretely improving the living conditions of our population and supporting local actors in building the Var of tomorrow.
The human element at the heart of innovation An essential characteristic of the winning projects is the predominant role given to citizen involvement. 'This approach represents a major lever for the success and deployment of innovations, which are true vectors of social and territorial cohesion. Innovation, far from being a simple technological feat, is here a collective responsibility and a continuous commitment, where everyone contributes to an open and inclusive approach, affecting humans and society.
The common thread of public innovation is the conviction that public action must be built with users, being as close as possible to their needs. The Département, through innovation, is a facilitator and an accelerator of solutions, requiring us to explore the field of possibilities and involve the right actors,' adds Laetitia Quilici.
RECOGNITION The winners and candidates of the Prix de l'innovation et de la Recherche du Var 2025 have demonstrated a remarkable ability to be true leaders of territorial projects, committing to crucial economic, environmental, and social issues. The maturity of the 2025 projects and the conditions of their monitoring confirm the uniqueness of this system. Whether it is ecological transition, digitalization of the economy, health, or social ties, the selected projects provide concrete answers to current societal challenges.
The capacity to capitalize on the experiences gained opens up real possibilities for applications, and even replication, on a larger scale. For its 2026 edition, the Prix de l'Innovation et de la Recherche du Var, backed by a €50,000 budget, is preparing to propel the most creative initiatives of the Varois territory, while actively encouraging research. The excellence of the 2025 applications already fuels strong optimism for this second edition.
The Département views innovation as an approach open to all: public actors, associations, students, researchers, academics, or those from the social and solidarity economy, not to mention each local authority working for its inhabitants.
'The Prix de l'innovation et de la recherche is open to the following natural and legal persons (students, provided they justify their student status for the 2025-2026 academic year, associations, registered in accordance with current legislation, researchers, teacher-researchers, doctoral students, temporary and contract workers in a research laboratory and private and public research laboratories, actors of the social and solidarity economy, and local authorities). If a project falls under several fields, the candidate submits a single application, checking all relevant categories. On the other hand, for the presentation of several distinct projects by the same candidate, a different application is required for each of them, specifying each time the specific fields of the project,' continues Laetitia Quilici.
An endowment of €10,000 is awardable to the winners of the three grand prizes, the thematic prize, and the jury's favorite. The financial endowment amount will be paid to the legal entity carrying the winning project. In the case of multiple winners on a single project (for example, a group of students), the endowment will be distributed equally among the members named in the application.
Applications close on January 15, 2026, at 23:59.
Photo Philippe OLIVIER.