Sophia Antipolis launches technology park digital twin, developed by Akila using NVIDIA Omniverse

Sophia Antipolis, France, [27 October 2026] – Sophia Antipolis has initiated a technology park digital twin project with Akila, using NVIDIA Omniverse technology to establish a foundation for AI and simulation across the park's built environment.

Delivered by Akila for the Communauté d’Agglomération Sophia Antipolis (CASA), the digital twin begins with Pôle Alpha, an innovation building of approximately 8,500 m², and is designed as the first step towards a shared digital model of the wider technology park.

The announcement comes as Sophia Antipolis hosts the 43rd IASP World Conference, from 27 to 30 October 2026. Organised by the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation (IASP), the conference brings science park leaders from around the world together under the theme “Tech for humanity: shaping values for a human-centric future”. The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes is its main venue, with pre-conference events in Sophia Antipolis.

Built on OpenUSD, Akila's digital twin of Pôle Alpha brings together the building's 3D model, equipment and technical documentation within the Akila platform. NVIDIA Omniverse provides advanced visualization and simulation capabilities, supporting the development of more sophisticated AI applications as the project expands.

An AI assistant answers questions using the building's own documents, while data from the building management system is being connected to monitor technical systems and energy use. The project also analyses footfall to improve user experience and optimize the use of this public building. Data is extracted via AI from CCTV images that are processed at the source to extract only aggregated indicators (density, collective movement patterns, occupancy rates), with no identification or individual tracking of people. This aggregated data then informs crowd-flow simulations in NVIDIA Omniverse.

The goal is operational: find information faster, spot technical anomalies earlier, make better use of space and energy, and give every team the same up-to-date picture of the building. The ambition is to extend the approach to other buildings and shared facilities across the technology park.

“A technology park is judged by how well it connects people, knowledge and companies. With Akila and NVIDIA Omniverse, Pôle Alpha becomes a living model that its teams, its companies and its visitors can explore, and a first step towards a digital twin of the whole of Sophia Antipolis,” said Mike Hall, Chief Product and Platform Officer of Akila.

Pôle Alpha is also home to the Maison de l’IA (House of AI), the artificial intelligence demonstration and outreach venue created by the Département des Alpes-Maritimes with Université Côte d’Azur, CASA and the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur to bring AI closer to the public. Under the same roof, the digital twin offers a concrete example of AI applied to the physical world.

“A technology park is judged by how well it connects people, knowledge and companies. With Akila and NVIDIA Omniverse, Pôle Alpha becomes a living model that its teams, its companies and its visitors can explore, and a first step towards a digital twin of the whole of Sophia Antipolis,” said Mike Hall, Chief Product and Platform Officer of Akila.

At the IASP World Conference, Akila will present the digital twin of Pôle Alpha to delegates at Pôle Alpha.

About the IASP World Conference

The 43rd IASP World Conference on Science Parks and Areas of Innovation takes place from 27 to 30 October 2026, hosted by Sophia Antipolis. IASP, the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation, is a global network headquartered in Málaga, Spain.

About Sophia Antipolis

Created in 1969 in the Alpes-Maritimes, Sophia Antipolis is a science and technology park that, according to CASA, brings together nearly 2,500 companies, about 38,000 jobs and more than 4,500 researchers and 5,500 students.

About Akila

Akila creates and maintains the sovereign, AI-ready model of your built world. Akila connects spaces, assets, systems, documents, obligations, observations and operations in one governed spatial context, so people and AI can understand what exists, what is happening and what should happen next. Akila has digitalized more than 15 million m² at over 350 sites worldwide. Akila is an NVIDIA Preferred Partner and part of Aden Group, founded in Asia in 1997, with more than 26,000 employees worldwide.