He presumed it was in Canada.
But after two years living in the area the French manager of the centre says he will be devastated to leave next week when he goes back to his home country to start a new job.
He said: "I love the people here and I've loved the job, I've had a fantastic time."
Mr Tomat, 38, was organising an international conference on business innovation in his home town Marseilles when a colleague told him there was a world-leading centre being set up in Halifax.
He said: "I presumed it was Canada but I Googled it and this place in West Yorkshire came up.
Then I saw there was a job – and I just decided to go for it, the project seemed so exciting and so perfect."
Mr Tomat, 38, was hired by the Halifax Opportunities Trust as the first leader of the then newly-founded Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre – a leading hub for start-up businesses in the creative and innovative sector.
He said: "What I loved was how, even though the town's economy has suffered over the last few decades, these people took this brave decision to revitalise it through this unique venture.
"The things that go on here are fantastic."
One such venture he gives special praise is UK Surgical – designers of innovative surgical equipment – which has gone from being a fledgling company to supplying a global market.
Mr Tomat, who will now take on a job managing massive research projects in Lyon, said: "It's been great helping to start such an impressive project.
"This is one of the few innovation centres that's self sustained in the UK and that makes us all proud, it shows what a success we've been.
"I'll miss the place and I absolutely will visit and I'll miss Champions League football in the pub and visiting Leeds.
"But I think my wife Silvia and children will be happy to return home."