50 academic institutions have converged on La Defense, filling the office spaces left vacant due to the rise of remote work and the post-pandemic shift.
Tags: Paris, business districts, la defense
50 academic institutions have converged on La Defense, filling the office spaces left vacant due to the rise of remote work and the post-pandemic shift.
Tags: Paris, business districts, la defense
As remote work persists, Europe’s premier business zones invite academia to occupy the spaces left vacant by corporations, spearheading a novel trend of campus relocation to the heart of industry. The transformation of La Defense into an academic enclave continues, with an influx of 50 educational institutions, positioning students in the epicenter of Europe’s business activities.
The perennial evolution of work cultures, with an increasingly remote workforce, has left business districts across Europe seeking new lifeblood. La Defense, Paris’s iconic business quarter, known for its skyline of glass and steel and the Grande Arche, is now transforming into an urban campus. This shift comes as office occupancy fluctuates due to the ongoing preference for home-based work.
In the face of this transition, educational institutions have identified an opportunity to align themselves more closely with the corporate world. La Defense is undergoing a renaissance as approximately 50 schools have set up shop in the area, seeking to create a symbiotic relationship with the business community.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst for change, emptying offices and revealing resilience in remote working models. Even with the gradual return to office life, the workforce has not rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, leaving notable vacancies in areas like La Defense. This has prompted Paris La Defense, to embrace educational bodies to diversify and revitalize the area.
The initiative to establish academic institutions in La Defense is not a recent phenomenon but has gained remarkable momentum in the past decade and a half, said Pierre-Yves Guice, head of Paris La Defense. In an interview, he acknowledges the surge of student populations and the area’s keen interest in fostering a vibrant student community.
An estimated 70,000 students now roam what they consider their campus at La Defense. The allure of educational institutions, particularly those specializing in management and business, is clear. They aim to be in the heart of Europe’s top business district, believing that the proximity offers students a competitive edge and unparalleled exposure to their future careers.
Florence Legros of ICN Business School, which established its La Defense branch in 2018, emphasizes the significance of being located in the district. For students like Matteo Buonamici, a 24-year-old Italian studying at IESEG graduate business school, choosing to study in La Defense was a strategic move to bolster his aspirations in the banking sector.
IESEG, originally from Lille in northern France, has been present in La Defense since 2008, affirming its presence with a prominent logo alongside major corporate offices. Caroline Roussel, the school’s head, cites the proximity to companies and enhanced visibility in recruitment and international partnerships as driving factors for their location choice.
Similarly, Omnes Education’s decision to open a campus in La Defense in September 2022 was to bring its students into closer contact with the corporate world, an objective echoed by Christophe Boisseau of ESCE Business School. The “mimicking effect” Boisseau describes is a phenomenon where students, merely through their environment, begin to assimilate the professional culture that surrounds them.
The arrangement appears mutually beneficial. Commercial realtor CBRE’s Caroline Nachtwey points out that the presence in the business district not only improves job prospects for students but also provides schools with more affordable rent options compared to central Paris. Additionally, property owners are welcoming these institutions as they seek dependable tenants in a post-pandemic rental market.
Adapting a business district to academic life involves addressing student needs beyond the classroom. “Sports facilities, eateries, places to relax and housing are the four issues that need to be addressed,” as per Guillaume de Rendinger, head of IESEG’s La Defense campus.
Educational institutions are attempting to fill these gaps, with Omnes Education offering a variety of student facilities, from recreation areas to terraces. Students like Chloe Gaillard and Carla Albiges of ESCE express a reluctance to reside in La Defense, indicating a lack of community atmosphere outside of academic hours. These sentiments highlight the ongoing challenges in transforming a corporate fortress into a thriving student hub.
As the evolution of workspaces continues to redefine urban landscapes, the integration of academic institutions into business districts represents a strategic endeavor to marry education with professional opportunity. This emerging trend could potentially sculpt a new future for business districts, transforming them into multi-faceted arenas where the next generation of professionals can grow, learn, and, ultimately, work.
