métropole nice côte d’azur

digital innovations

We live in an era of

unprecedented change.

Thanks to the digital revolution, the world has entered a new cycle of growth and innovation

unparalleled in history.

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Our cities are called upon to play a

major role in such change. All fore-

casts agree in predicting that 75%

of global wealth will come to be

concentrated in metropolitan areas

over the next few decades.

This goes to show the extent of the

responsibility we have to our co-ci-

tizens with regard to a fair share-out

of such wealth and optimal exploita-

tion of new technological resources

to the benefit of our cities.

The challenges to be met are signi-

ficant. How do we develop our eco-

nomy without increasing pollution

or aggravating global warming?

How do we ensure the required

urban growth while providing eve-

ryone with a better quality of life

and more efficient services?

Not so long ago, such objectives

would have seemed contradictory.

But that’s no longer the case. We

now possess the “key” that does

away with problems by giving ac-

cess to ever more innovative solu-

tions.

We have a duty to make a success

of this new marriage between “sus-

tainable” and “digital”, between

ecology and the new technologies.

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur has

put the odds on a happy marriage

between the two forces.

Thanks to the fresh growth we

have initiated, progress is no longer

synonymous with waste of natural

resources and protection of the en-

vironment is no longer synonymous

with economic regression and loss

of jobs.

Since 2010, the year when we were

the first city to try out “contactless”

mobile technology, we have conti-

nued to innovate tirelessly, testing

the most advanced technologies

in partnership with some of the

world’s top-ranking enterprises.

With its 10,000 hectares and clas-

sification as Operation of National

Interest, Eco-Vallée on the Var Plain

provides an ideal setting for experi-

menting with and deployment of all

such recent digital inventions.

The “Smart City Innovation Centre”

we have just inaugurated is another

major concrete expression of the

metamorphosis underway. A colla-

borative platform unlike any other in

France, it brings together actors in

research and higher education, and

leading Smart City companies.

By 2016, we will have one of

France’s first Urban Hyper vision

Centres, developed in collaboration

with IBM. Data analysis in real time

will enable optimal management of

all major urban functions, including

public lighting, garbage collection,

drinking water distribution, treat-

ment of wastewater and regulation

of road traffic.

And over the next few months, we

willl be testing out new services as

well as speeding up the ecological

process of transition to non-fossil

energies.

All in all, we are well on the way

to reconciling nature, science and

progress, thanks to the “Smart

City” and the eco-industries that are

springing up in its wake.

Nice is now one of the frontrunners

among the great cities busy building

tomorrow’s world and inventing

new ways to grow.

As far as global “Smart Cities”

classification goes, we are ranked

as one of the top five, alongside

Barcelona, New York, London and

Singapore.

This is well-earned recognition of

our commitment to sustainable

interconnected development that

is to everyone’s advantage: to all

citizens, and to the planet.

Christian ESTROSIMember of Parliament of the Alpes-MaritimesMayor of NiceChairman of the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur

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In the later years of the 19th century,

two events dedicated its determina-

tion to innovate in order to stay ahead

of its time and anticipate change:

the construction of the Observatory

– equipped in 1888 with the world’s

largest telescope! – and a spatial

planning campaign providing facilities

to accommodate winter holiday-

makers, those early pioneers who

contributed so much to the rise of the

Côte d’Azur, which has since become

a showcase for global tourism.

The digital revolution taking place in

the heart of Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur is one in a long line of major

facts that have forged its identity and

ensured its future. Tools may have

changed but the vision of a future

to be imagined and built remains

the same, to ensure the Metropoli-

tan area becomes a leading light in

tomorrow’s world, interconnected

and sustainable.

Its will to innovate has propelled Nice

to the forefront of the international

scene, where the city is busy carrying

out one pilot experiment after ano-

ther: it was the first European city to

deploy NFC technology and the first

city in France to adopt a smart parking

system. It won the IBM “Smarter

Cities Challenge” – the only French

city to obtain the award – and the

Juniper Research Foundation ranks it

as the world’s 4th smartest city, after

Barcelona, New York and London…

Good company indeed!

The Metropolitan area and the city of

Nice have grounded their governance

on anticipation of their inhabitants’

needs and the ability to provide a year-

round welcome to millions of visitors,

bearing in mind that Nice Côte d’Azur

is France’s leading airport after Paris.

When decision-making time came

round, it was of course necessary to

take full account of constraints arising

from the topographical characteris-

tics of a site which, magnificent and

much envied as it might be, is no less

complex to grasp and manage.

Its diversity makes the area ideal

for conducting experiments, as,

in so small an area, mid-elevation

mountains are no more than a stone’s

throw from the coast and ski resorts

– including one at over 2000 metres

above sea level – are only an hour and

a half’s drive from Promenade des

Anglais. Such topography, which is

the secret of the landscapes’ beauty,

gives rise to a wide variety of living

environments within an equally small

area - a plethora of large and small

towns, villages overlooking the coast-

line, isolated villages and ski resorts.

A land of contrasts opening on to

other cities in the Mediterranean

Arc and partnering the Principality of

Monaco in exploration of the world

of innovation, Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur boasts an equally diverse

population, an additional source of

cultural and material wealth. Here,

industrialists, startup founders,

researchers, students, shopkeepers,

farmers, fisherfolk, employees and

A sustainableinterconnected

Metropolitan area

Nice has always been a centre of technological evolution and economic revolution.

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pensioners, families who have put

down roots in the Alpes-Maritimes

Departmental Council and tourists all

rub shoulders…

It’s not just the 300 days of sunshine

a year – the tourists that flock here

also come for the extraordina-

rily diverse heritages that make the

Metropolitan area an unparalleled

destination, as do its writers (Nice

possesses a Nobel Prizewinner and

an Academician!), painters (some of

the world’s most renowned names),

musicians and sculptors… a concen-

tration of know-how and knowledge

that contributes to eLearning and

eTourism development.

Naturally enough, the notion of

“Smart City” – i.e. the use of new

technologies to optimize knowledge

and management of the area so as to

better serve its inhabitants and pres-

erve the environment in all its forms

– has well and truly caught on.

And it has now become reality with

an invisible architecture but with

already palpable effects, whether

in optimizing the city’s operation or

improving of users’ everyday lives,

inhabitants and short stay visitors

alike.

The Metropolitan area and its

requirements demanded this “digital

explosion”, even though it was born

of political will: to the east, the historic

hospital has become a benchmark

for development of treatments and

research; to the west, an extensive

area ideal for creation of the city of

the future, with development of major

projects underway.

Grand Arénas is set to become an

international business district inclu-

ding a multimodal transport hub and a

65,000-m2 Exhibition Park connec-

ted to the airport by landscaped

throughways.

Nice Méridia is already well on the

way to becoming a full-fledged urban

technopolis devoted to technological

activities, research, training and pilot

experiments to build the Smart City.

These two projects go together to

form the bridgehead of the Var Plain

Operation of National Interest, which

consolidates the image of an inter-

connected, sustainable Metropolitan

area in which housing, green spaces,

stores and offices create a harmo-

nious whole with a varied population

– residents, students, researchers,

industrialists and visitors – taking

full advantage of its many digital

advances.

With these two hubs of innovation

showing the way, the whole area and

its entire population are now reaping

the benefits of the “Smart City”.

A “Smart City” is a high-performance

entity where effective problem-sol-

ving takes precedence along with risk

prevention. In this case, it is being

built with the help of local policy-

makers as well as all the industrial

partners, all of them world leaders in

their fields.

Bosch, Cisco and Orange alike have

seen this diverse and internatio-

nally renowned location as a godsent

opportunity to set up their “labo-

ratories of the future” to conduct

large-scale experiments, from which

the Metropolitan area’s inhabitants

are the first to benefit.

This brochure, which can hope to do

no more than skim the surface of the

many projects underway, presents

some of Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur’s major development focuses

connected with digital innovation:

separate and remote management

of buildings’ (or even entire neigh-

bourhoods’) water and electricity

consumption; optimization of garbage

collection through sensors installed

in containers and garbage collection

trucks equipped with GPS systems;

development of eHealthcare so

that patients suffering from chronic

illnesses or the effects of old age can

be monitored round the clock, thanks

to a patch equipped with sensors

analyzing vital parameters in real time;

and prevention of natural risks and

pollution through 24/7 analysis of data

on watercourse flows and air quality.

Beyond the purely technological

aspects, however cutting-edge they

may be, that remain the business of

specialists, researchers, industrialists

and technicians, the “Smart City”

or “Interconnected City” is a place

where users’ everyday lives are made

easier…without their being aware of

what is going on behind the scenes.

The “Smart City” is a city where you

spend less because operating costs

are optimized and public manage-

ment is under control; where you’re

warned individually in the event of

imminent risks; where household

shopping is easy as pie thanks to

contactless payment; where you can

imbibe culture by taking a stroll with a

personal “guide” hidden away in your

Smartphone; where you have your

hand on the city’s pulse; where you

get from here to there without having

to wait “blindly” for public transport,

or by selecting the route with the

least traffic, or again by using shared

vehicles.

The “Smart City” is a city managed

by analysis of data collected by

thousands of sensors installed in

buildings, alongside rivers and in

utility grids; by setup of fine-tuned

“management grids”; and by 3D

projections of future neighbourhoods

to better assess constraints and

anticipate solutions. These are only

examples. There are also many more

digital tools that foster respect for the

environment and prioritize the human

in us all by facilitating free expression,

dialogue between managers and the

managed, sociability, encounters and

solidarity. Cyberspaces are set to

become the new social venues.

Like a return to the roots, to life’s

essentials, where human welfare and

the Earth are central to all concerns

and are taken full account of by

the actors and partners in a digital

revolution whose results are anything

but virtual.

If governing (well) means anticipating,

it is all the more important to be in

possession of all the information

required to make the right forecasts!

In this particular case, managing (very

well) means collecting!

And as far as collection goes, the

Metropolitan area is well and truly

up to speed, with sensors installed

throughout the area and detailed

environmental information flowing in

from all quarters. Such information

enables management of the public

space in real time and on a “case by

case” basis, via 24 urban services or

applications.

Such is the case with management

of traffic flows, regulation of public

lighting intensity, high-performance

water distribution without leakage,

energy consumption in public

buildings, and optimized garbage

collection – not to forget detection of

olfactory peaks at water treatment

plants, poor air quality, or sound

pollution by infrastructures and

construction sites…

The earliest feedback, from Cagnes-

sur-Mer, which piloted the system,

showed from 10 to 30% saving on the

public lighting bill, 10% less spent on

heating and air-conditioning in public

buildings, and 20% less leakage along

the water distribution grid!

These highly encouraging results led

to the launch of the Var Plain project,

with Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur

installing new sensors in partnership

with IBM, Orange, Veolia and

M2ocity. The first experimental sector

around Cagnes-sur-Mer extended

east to west, from Cros-de-Cagnes

to the Hippodrome and northwards

to the A8 freeway – a total of 80

hectares for 120 sensors.

The experiment is now being

extended to the Var Plain, with close

to 3000 sensors and metres set to be

installed from south to north across

162 hectares between the mouth of

the Var and Saint-Isidore, in the very

heart of the Operation of National

Interest. And that is not counting

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur’s fleet

of electric “laboratory” vehicles

which roam the area collecting

environmental and other data useful

to decision-makers. Information

collected by the noise observatory,

France’s first network of noise

sensors, recognized by ADEME (the

French agency for the environment

and energy control) and the Ministry

of the Environment, complements

the continuous round of data

collection.

In short, a real connected conurbation

is taking shape between Cagnes-

sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-du-Var and

Nice, along with, soon, many other

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur is developing a real-time management system adapted to the connected space and designed to promote

sustainable development and a particular art of living. Use of information transmitted by the 3000 environmental sensors installed on 162 hectares to the west of Nice constitutes a unique

experiment to this end.

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Managingmeans collecting!

A tenant at Résidence L’Alandier, a new building on Nice’s Les Moulins estate, can now look forward to getting his water and electricity bills without a single qualm – and for good reason! He has got into the habit of regularly consulting the portal enabling him to follow the evolution of his consumption in real time and taking any action that might be required to balance his lifestyle. Simple-to-read information is posted by the hour, day, week and month, enabling users to compare one year with another as well as see how things seem set to go up to the end of the current year… The pluses: a single click and he can translate the information into Euros! No more unpleasant surprises…

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

municipalities from Métropole Nice

Côte d’Azur.

In the final analysis, in addition to

savings made by local authorities and,

by extension, Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur’s inhabitants, commitment

to an interconnected Metropolitan

area is improving the lives of all

those who make use of its services.

Private partners have put their trust

in the Metropolitan area’s capacity for

innovation and have chosen to lend

assistance to its local government by

sharing their know-how. They are also

contributing to the project to the tune

of 2,100,000 Euros, alongside the

Metropolitan area, which is investing

an equivalent sum in sensors

and communication and storage

infrastructures.

They are counting on the Metropolitan

“demonstrator” to trial new urban

services that might later be duplicated

elsewhere in France, Europe, and

worldwide. Each application must

therefore undergo detailed study of

its economic model. An ambitious

project that should finally result in

job creation, training, and location of

startups and seasoned enterprises.

A vision of what the future will

hold for the Metropolitan area’s

inhabitants awaits visitors as the

“Smart City Innovation Centre»,

a 300-m² showroom at IMREDD

(Mediterranean Institute for Risk,

the Environment and Sustainable

Development) on the Var Plain,

including an Environmental Urban

Monitoring system prefiguring

the city of tomorrow’s world. The

showroom also fosters cross-

fertilization of work on innovation

carried out by researchers and leading

industrial concerns on one and the

same site.

Such action on the Metropolitan

area’s part is unprecedented in

France, affording it unparalleled

international visibility.

We may not know it yet – or perhaps

we are vaguely aware of it but do

not want to delve into the problem

too deeply – but our system for

supplying electricity to public and

private consumers alike is pretty much

nearing the end of its life…even if it

pretends not to be!

Traditional grids are often on the

edge of collapse and it would be

economically and environmentally

suicidal not to do anything about them.

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur and its

partners have sparked a genuine

revolution, enabled by the digital

resources in place and set to ensure

greater energy independence to an

area that currently only produces

10% of the electricity it consumes,

foster development of renewable

energy sources, and turn users

of metropolitan services into

“consumactor-producers” taking

positive action to reduce their

electricity bills and help preserve the

environment.

It is to this end that Métropole Nice

Côte d’Azur has made development of

Smart Grids a priority concern, aiming

to create autonomous loops at district

level and combine all available energy

sources, geothermal, biomass and

solar alike, in an optimal mix. They

also enable improved management

of consumption on the part of private

individuals, companies and local

government, taking the measure of

their needs with regard to lighting,

heating and air-conditioning, hot

water, electric mobility, and so on. The

objective is clear enough: improving

energy efficiency by 20% by 2020,

knowing that buildings are responsible

for 40% of energy consumption

and 36% of carbon gas emissions,

according to a European Union Study.

The experiment has never before been

tried in France and Éco-Vallée is set

to become a laboratory for testing out

the best ways of achieving flexibility

of production, distribution and use of

electricity. The experiment kicked off

in Carros and will be continued, among

other places, in the Nice Méridia SPD

(Special Planning District), assisted by

some hundred local startups under

the impetus of Club Smartgrid 06,

managed by the CCI.

In the same spirit and with a view

to researching new avenues of

endeavour, Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur has joined the Republic Med

Sustainable development, energy independence, savings on energy and lowering users’ energy bills are all achievable through a digital (r)

evolution in which local government departments act as innovators and private individuals as “consumactor-producers”.

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Electricity:smart consumption!

This particular family living in the west of Nice is committed to participation in the City Opt testing and has chosen to lower its consumption of electricity between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to help reduce risks of blackouts due to wintertime peak-period consumption.Alerted by SMS or email, the family can take immediate action using the digital tablet provided free of charge by Europe and then view its eco-action’s impact at neighbourhood level. Three conditions for taking part in this pilot operation: you have to have an EDF subscription, a new-generation “Linky” metre and internet connection.And, of course, the desire to be a responsible “consumactor”!

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

project (Retrofitting Public Spaces in

Intelligent Mediterranean Cities), which

seeks to promote new approaches

to and tools for thermal renovation of

buildings and public spaces in major

cities in the Mediterranean region.

Five pilot sites have been selected

in Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur:

Nice’s Environment Laboratory, the

Cagnes-sur-Mer sailing and harbour-

masters’ school (Ecole de Voile et

la Capitainerie), “La Pinède” school

complex in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Place

Garibaldi in Nice and the Grand Arénas

project. Various thermal renovation

scenarios have been tested out

based on innovative models of

energy alternatives, which should

finally enable further optimization of

energy standards for buildings in the

Mediterranean region.

These two research focuses

complement ERDF’s experiments

in a “smart solar energy district” in

Carros, where 7 businesses and 1,500

households have provided themselves

with new-generation metres in

order to consume better and less by

reducing or changing the times of their

electricity consumption.

Finally, as part of the City Opt project,

200 Nice families equipped with new

Linky electricity metres by ERDF will

use a free digital tablet to assess the

impact of the way they consume

electricity, and receive alerts in real

time along with advice on how to

improve control of consumption.

In all cases, users are the driving force

behind digital innovation and energy

transition, with improvement of their

living environment as their goal.

The 2,500 kilometres of drinking-

water distribution grids that

crisscross Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur and its 49 municipalities

supply an area of dual contrasts

– topographical, first of all, with

its steep slopes and level plains;

and then demographic, with

low occupation rates in the High

Country, average in the Middle

Country and particularly high along

the coast.

In 2013, a total of almost 70

million cubic metres of water were

required to meet inhabitants’ and

visitors’ needs… So-called surface

water for most Middle Country

and coastal needs (73%), and

underground water channelled

through a multitude of springs

in the High Country, with supply

by pumping or force of gravity

depending on distribution area…

Efforts towards optimization of

drinking-water grid performance

focus on day-to-day use, with

increased activity in seeking out and

repairing leaks, as well as involving

a targeted program of water-grid

replacement work (some 13 million

Euros invested in 2013 by the

Metropolitan area and its delegates)

and implementation of a drinking-

water master plan that should put

the asset management strategy on

a long-term footing.

Three key actions are well worth

highlighting.

First of all sectorization, which

enables measurement of

drinking water distributed along

with measurement of water at

grid output (water billed). The

main sector is divided up into

homogenous sub-sectors (of 500-

3000 subscribers) each isolatable

through closing of valves or setup

of measurement devices (metres/

flowmetres). Such procedures

enable easier identification and

repair of “runaway” sectors without

penalizing all users. Monitoring

of sectorization loops ensures

improved knowledge of losses

and more accurate estimation of

volumes. Pre-localization is another,

complementary means of orienting

leak repair. This particular approach

consists in installing autonomous

noise sensors along the grid, which

record the noise it makes (given that

a leak generates continuous residual

noise).

The area’s topographical diversity and demographic disparities make distribution of drinking water a yet more complex task. Technological

innovations are therefore essential to improved performance of a water grid whose construction dates back to the 1880s.

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Water: f lowsunder close watch

Next comes use of energy-

autonomous “communicating

sensors”: KAPTA™ probes.

Launched at the 2010 Shanghai

World Expo and used at Wembley

Stadium for the 2012 Olympic

Games in London, the probes

were tested out in Nice in 2013, on

the occasion of the Francophone

Games.

They enable measurement of

the basic parameters of a digital

footprint for water quality – active

chlorine, conductivity, temperature

and pressure – and an alert to

be sent out in the event of any

abnormal variation in values

measured.

The system is both a pollution

detector and a tool for gathering

information on water movement

within the grid.

And finally, through remote reading

of production, sectorization and

distribution metres, installation

of the new-generation water

metres first tested out in 2013

in six municipalities – Levens,

Saint-Martin-du-Var, Saint-Blaise,

Colomars, Castagniers and La

Roquette-sur-Var – will eventually

enable each subscriber to monitor

his/her consumption via Internet

and operators to pinpoint and

quantify water losses.

It will also be possible to alert

consumers by email or SMS in the

event of abnormal consumption.

This is a win-win system – for

local authorities, users and the

environment!

An abnormal drop in pressure in the Promenade des Anglais sector of the drinking-water distribution grid is recorded by smart sensors. The water-board duty officer receives an alert signalling the anomaly in real time. Further analysis of information collected leads him to suspect a leak at the corner of the Promenade and Rue Cronstadt. A maintenance team is forewarned and dispatched, able to take immediate action.

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

By delegating the responsibility for

sanitation, hydraulics and rainwater

to Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, the

49 member municipalities have

“bequeathed” it the management

of 1,400 kilometres of wastewater

network and 400 kilometres of

rainwater network, installed with a

total of 80 hydraulic measurement

sites along with 21 pluviometres

(permanent self-monitoring and

diagnosis sites). Among other

things, they have also entrusted it

with the operation of 51 water-

treatment plants, 121 wastewater

lift stations, 36 rainwater ones and

3 storm sewers.

In total, the 480,000 inhabitants

connected to the Metropolitan

sanitation network produce some

17,000 tonnes of sludge a year

(tonnes of dry matter), with annual

treatment of 58,000,000 m3 of

wastewater, taking all the area’s

water-treatment plants together!

Although incomplete, these highly

significant figures bear witness to

the size of the task to be accom-

plished in a field where disparate

versions of operating contracts

tend to pile up as, de facto, each

operator has their own system for

partial observation of the network.

Hence the obvious difficulty, (some

might even say impossibility) of

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur’s

centralizing data in real time. Such

dissipation prevents any overview

of how the network is operating

in general terms, coordination of

action, or rapid assessment of

critical levels of situations arising

during crisis episodes.

Inevitably, lack of data centralization

in one and the same system incurs

extra operating costs and slows

down intervention times.

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur’s

The service Management is optimized by centralizing information, enabling processing of all information in real time and providing an

overview of sanitation systems in operation: the “general supervisor” is the tool of the future!

14

Sanitation: a super-collector… of data

policy is based on two strategic

focuses: optimization through cen-

tralization of data on the existing

system’s operation, and moder-

nization of facilities in line with

environmental aims and obligations

regarding public safety.

The initiative’s success relies first

of all on the setup of an “indus-

trial supervisor” that automa-

tically collects measurements

from self-monitoring permanent

diagnosis sites as well as from

water-treatment plants, wastewa-

ter lift stations and storm sewers,

enabling an overview of raw data in

real time and alerts to be sent out

if necessary. This initial step in effi-

cient management of the service

is complemented by the use of

measurement processing and ana-

lysis software which, among other

things, monitors and validates the

mass of information collected and

calculates indicators of “hydro-

meteorological” contexts. The

software also boasts high archiving

capacity to help anticipate the

various scenarios liable to occur.

Last but by no means least

innovation-wise, this centralized

observation system is in interface

with a GIS (Geographic Information

System) enabling viewing of asset

data, with colorization of sections

of the sanitation network depen-

ding on flow, and of the various

hydraulic sites with regard to alerts

sent out in such cases as abnormal

overflows.

In the final analysis, in addition to

better management of costs, the

“industrial supervisor” improves

reactiveness and so has a direct

positive influence on citizens’

safety by anticipating flood risks

and possible harm to the environ-

ment by pollution.

How best to manage garbage

is one of key concern to all

municipalities. With close to

550,000 inhabitants and over 5

million visitors a year, Métropole

Nice Côte d’Azur is faced with

a real challenge: processing the

359,000 or so tonnes of household

and similar waste collected every

year…

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur aims

to reduce volumes collected and

processing costs alike, which

means acting first of all on users’

behaviour and secondly on the way

the service operates.

Educational action carried out in

the field – posters, awareness-

raising campaigns, talks to school

groups, inhabitant satisfaction

with immediate responses to

appointment requests for special

removals, etc. – has shown

interesting outcomes : with 2.3%

less household waste to process

(2013-2014), the trend is towards

reduction. In parallel, selective

collection – glass, packaging and

paper – has progressed by 7%.

Educational action at local level is

being extended by Métropole Nice

Côte d’Azur’s involvement in the

MED3R project, which it is piloting.

This strategic Euro-Mediterranean

platform is designed to educate

users by setting them on the road

to the 3 R’s: Reducing, Reusing and

Recycling.

The Metropolitan area is

also fully committed to the

technical aspects of collection:

developments in digital technology

enable a smart approach to

management of rounds, with

58,500 wheelie bins equipped

with electronic chips acting as

“mineralogical number plates”.

With the help of portable terminals,

garbage disposal officers can signal

any problems requiring attention

– defective lids, bins that need

washing or replacing, etc. – in

real time, so enabling rapid action

to be taken. Similarly, using their

on-board GPS systems, garbage

truck drivers can take note of and

transmit any anomalies they come

across on their rounds (dumping of

bulky items, obstructive parking,

etc.). Optimization of collection

guarantees efficiency and safety.

In addition, sensors have been

installed in sorting containers in the

municipalities of Nice and Cagnes-

sur-Mer. Remote interrogation

informs drivers whether or not

containers are full, so eliminating

unnecessary toing-and-froing on

the part of their trucks.

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur is committed to achieving top-quality performance in processing the 359,000 tonnes of household waste

collected every year. Two objectives: a cleaner environment and lower costs. Two axes of success: education and digital technology.

16

Hi-Tech collection!

Management of collection via

on-board digital systems enables

optimization of rounds and

payment of service-providers

for services actually carried out,

rather than by flat rate. Results are

telling: the cost of collection and

management of bins has fallen by a

million Euros.

Optimization has been furthered by

equipping 115 garbage collection

trucks and, more recently,

vehicles responsible for picking

up bulky items, with on-board

GPS systems. Besides enabling

correction of anomalies observed

during rounds and management of

volumes of garbage per vehicle so

as to rebalance itineraries where

necessary, the system enables

assessment of drivers’ levels of

ecodriving while monitoring fuel

consumption and details of activity.

There isn’t a single garbage-truck driver who does not keep an informed eye on his surroundings as he makes his daily rounds! Above all because he no longer has to be back at the garage in order to report his observations. These days, as he makes his way through the streets, he can use his GPS to signal sorting errors, broken bins in need of replacement, and dumping – and ensure immediate action is taken. But what he appreciates more than anything are the level sensors installed in containers, enabling him to organize “selective rounds” and only visit full bins. Gains in time, efficiency and cleanliness …!

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

Who would have predicted it?

Not that many people (except of

course the project’s initiators) if

the truth be told, as Côte d’Azur

travel habits appeared well and

truly rooted in long-established

custom dictated by a topography

seemingly ill-adapted to other

means of transport than the

automobile!

And then, in 2009, Vélobleu bikes

appeared on the scene for all to

use. A local revolution, it has to

be said, that took no time at all

to win over the public and which,

six years on, is rallying increasing

numbers of followers to its cause:

+ 25% users between 2013 and

2014 and +32% rentals over the

same period, to reach a total of

1,767,606 rentals in 2014 with

68,898 customers (+25%).

Currently, 1,750 bikes and 175

stations are at the public’s disposal

across the three Metropolitan

municipalities – Nice, Saint-

Laurent-du-Var and Cagnes-sur-

Mer – which elected to develop

the Vélobleu service, with some

8,855,706 kilometres pedalled

to date… the equivalent of

1,265,100 times the length of

Promenade des Anglais, and, most

importantly, 1,036 fewer tonnes of

CO2 emitted into the atmosphere

than would have resulted from

equivalent use of private cars.

And to tell the truth, the private

car’s monopoly has been in serious

danger since the introduction of

the Auto Bleue service in 2011,

making shared electric vehicles

available across nine Métropole

Nice Côte d’Azur municipalities:

Nice, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Saint-

Laurent-du-Var, Vence, Colomars,

Carros, La Trinité, Beaulieu-sur-

Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer. At

present, a total of 210 vehicles

divided up among 66 stations are

available to the scheme’s 8,100

and rising members.

The gain in terms of energy

savings and reduction of

greenhouse gas emissions is a

significant one considering that

30% of such emissions are caused

by automobiles. According to

ADEME (the French Environment

and Energy Management Agency)

calculations, use of a shared

electric car replaces between 4

and 8 private vehicles.

Beyond simple use of Auto

Bleue vehicles as a state-of-the-

art means of transport and the

most visible and popular symbol

of cities fostering sustainable

development and eco-citizenship,

the entire “living well together”

chain is impacted: upstream and

downstream alike, car-sharing

does away with the anxieties of

finding somewhere to park and

the stress of always having to be

at the wheel yourself, providing

citizens with an alternative

including shared transport,

rediscovery of the joys of walking,

reconsideration of how best to go

about their comings and goings,

and new ways of grasping their

everyday lives and the city they

live in – in other words, a chance

to rediscover the forgotten

delights of companionship,

solidarity and sharing, values

somewhat ill-used by the

trepidations of contemporary life.

Here again, properly thought-out

use of new technologies provides

the best of life as lived today and

in days gone by…

Since the introduction of Vélobleu bikes in 2009, followed by the Auto Bleue service in 2011, Metropolitan area inhabitants have clocked up

the equivalent of 39 return journeys…from the Earth to the Moon! A glance at an eco-civic practice pedalling to victory in

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur…

18

Get about in blue… it’s better!

On 7 April 2014, Nice’s inhabitants

suddenly felt the ground shudder

beneath their feet following a new

earthquake with its epiCentre in the

region of Barcelonnette. As soon as

it happened, they were reassured

via Twitter that nothing serious had

occurred on the Côte d’Azur, given

advice on what to do, and asked

not to overwhelm local emergency

service Centres with phone calls!

In other words, the “Risques Nice”

Twitter account played its part to

the full, sending out the alert and

providing sound advice, just like the

Smartphone application “Risques

Nice”, already in service, enables to

alert citizen of a risk by SMS or Push.

In the same spirit, the City of

Nice is planning development of

collaborative mapping enabling

Twitter subscribers to inform the

Directorate for Risk Prevention and

Management of the exact location

of any incident that occurs, by using

a Smartphone to activate a high-

performance geo-localization system.

Information collected in this way

is reproduced on a map along with

indications in real time, so that city

officials are fully informed of the

facts and can take rapid action as

well as direct emergency services to

the spot.

Inhabitants thus become actors in

ensuring their own safety simply by

downloading the required apps free

of charge.

With improvement of risk prevention

and safety still in mind, Métropole

Nice Côte d’Azur is set to collaborate

with a connected-world specialist in

developing a smart video surveillance

system for that capricious and

always unpredictable coastal river,

the Magnan. Once installed at

a strategic location, the camera

identifies flotsam likely to impede

water flow upstream and so increase

flood impact. The system also

enables more accurate forecasting of

floods by capturing any rise in water

levels on camera, and determination

of flows and water speed through

observation of floating objects

(debris, leaves, etc.).

This new tool complements

development of a Hyper vision

system - in partnership with IBM -

whose main purpose is to centralize

data from the various sensors

and cameras installed across the

area to measure watercourses, air

quality, river flows and so on. Such

data is then crossed with results

obtained from mapping tools and

other information collected by all

departments concerned.

Also in the pipeline is a project for

installation of cameras at on- and

off-ramps along the A8 freeway in

order to identify and monitor trucks

marked with orange labels, which

transport (and may also deliver)

dangerous materials across the

municipality.

The project is of statistical interest,

providing information on types of

dangerous materials crossing the

area, as well as being a preventive

measure, identifying the most

dangerous materials being driven

through the city in real time and

enabling emergency services to

organize their movements with full

knowledge of what is happening on

the ground.

Informing and being informed in order to better manage crisis situations in an area subject to a range of natural risks – such is the

mission assigned to the City of Nice, which has come down in favour of digital innovation as a means of improving prevention and ensuring

public safety.

20

Preventing risks to limit their consequences

Avenue Sainte-Marguerite regulars just can’t believe their eyes! Last night’s storm has caused a dangerous landslide at the end of a bend in the road. A local resident grabs his Smartphone, connects to the “Risques Nice” app, identifies himself, signals his location via the geo-localization system and even takes a photo of the spot before sending his message. 2 hours later the site is secured, and the road is cleared by the end of the morning. End of problem! Once again, citizens themselves are the actors in ensuring their city’s safety.

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

As the Côte d’Azur only produces

10% of the electricity it consumes,

the area is often prey to blackouts

– Hence the absolute necessity of

controlling energy consumption,

which also, happily enough, leads

to reduction of energy costs for

local authorities and consequently

for users.

The other effects of the new

system also represent significant

advances in ensuring buildings’

security and their users’ comfort

and safety.

GTB enables collection of all

real-time data transmitted by the

20,000 sensors so far installed

in 70 of Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur’s most energy-consuming

buildings. Eventually, a full 250 of

the Metropolitan and city of Nice

area’s 1,500 public buildings will be

equipped with a total of 100,000

sensors. By 2017, around 80% of

energy consumption will be under

GTB monitoring.

But monitoring and assessment

would not be much help without

it being possible to take remote

action on consumption by

temporarily reducing lighting

intensity in public spaces so as to

take pressure off the grid in the

event of an alert or unexpected

overload.

Working in conjunction with Smart

Grids – those mini-grids that

enable sectored management of

electricity consumption as well as

quantitative and cost monitoring

– GTB may be regarded as the

key tool of the Smart City that is

gradually taking sustainable shape

across the Metropolitan area, from

its birthplace in Éco-Vallée to the

east of the city.

As an extension of GTB and Smart

Grid development, the City of Nice

and EDF have together to try out

an energy management system

baptized “Raptor” as part of the

“Efficient Energy in Provence-

Alpes-Côte d’Azur” project.

The experiment will focus on

Promenade des Anglais’ decorative

lighting.

The system uses a wireless

communication network to monitor

and record electricity metre load

curves, as well as enabling remote

management of installations via

GTB, optimizing electricity costs

connected with Promenade des

GTB (Gestion Technique Bâtimentaire = Centralized Technical Management [CTM]) is a new system for smart technical management of public buildings, optimizing operation and anticipating anomalies

and power failures while keeping down costs. The Metropolitan area’s biggest energy-guzzlers – the Promenade des Anglais, Saint-François

swimming pool, and the Matisse Museum – are at the heart of this technological step forward.

22

Managing light!

Anglais’ decorative lighting, and

immediate action to be taken in the

event of a main grid overload alert.

In addition, following the partnership

concluded with Robert Bosch France

under a research and development

agreement for improvement of

its risk management system, the

City of Nice decided to acquire the

innovative “Climotion” solution to

ventilation optimization, for which

the company has an exclusive

patent.

This latter system seems

particularly well suited to improving

the operation of two municipal

establishments each with its own

special requirements:

* The contemporary extension to

the Matisse Museum, where major

artworks of considerable value

are on exhibition, whose proper

conservation demands stable and

carefully controlled temperature

and hydrometric conditions;

* Saint-François swimming pool,

whose architecture prevents air

from circulating easily, resulting in

users’ discomfort mainly due to

high humidity rates and a persistent

smell of chlorine.

Apart from optimizing operation

and reducing consumption, use

of the technology in question

avoids having to replace existing

ventilation systems.

ERDF anticipates an electricity consumption peak one particularly cold winter evening and decides to alert the public buildings management staff so that precautionary action can be taken. A single click, following approval on the part of Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur’s President, and they switch off the ornamental lighting on Promenade des Anglais’ trees: 330 kWh are economized until the following night, when the Promenade is back in fully illuminated finery once more.

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

• SPOT MAIRIE: with booths

enabling remote interaction

between users and municipal staff,

getting your papers in order and so

on is simple, and can be taken care

of in a few minutes while you are

out shopping!

The objective is to put public

services within immediate reach

of users. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Monday to Saturday, citizens

can carry out a whole range of

administrative procedures free

of charge with no appointment

required, by speaking “face-to-

face” with an onscreen call-Centre

operator… A 3rd-generation

complement to the much beloved

“Allo Mairies”, and reachable at the

same times by dialling 39 06.

In this digital era, no special skills

are required to open up a series of

virtual city-hall booths – a system

initiated by the City of Nice and

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur,

resulting from a partnership with

Cisco and adapted for use by “non-

geeks” and technophobes!

Although the concept is

technologically viable these days, it

needed someone to be bold enough

to step forward and propose this

unheard-of service encouraging

proximity and enabling immediate

face-to-face interaction between

citizens and local government

officers.

It was in 2013 that the first virtual

city-hall booth was installed – a

world preview! – at the Nice Étoile

shopping mall, for a year’s trial

period.

Its success with local inhabitants

led to the decision to continue the

experiment and extend it to other

strategic locations in the City of

Nice as well as widen the range of

services on offer.

During the first half of 2015, a booth

will be installed at Nice Saint-

Isidore’s Leclerc Centre mall in the

west of the city. It will be accessible

to people with reduced mobility and

soon the deaf and hearing-impaired,

and will provide real “VIP” service

as well a better perception of public

services on the part of their users.

Whether it is a matter of civil

status, renewing your identity

card, enquiring about community

or cultural life, education, leisure

activities, event organization,

procedures to do with housing,

municipal sports activities or

whatever, there is no longer any

need to make the journey to city

hall or be forced to fall into line

with local government department

opening hours!

This new-generation high-

performance and highly innovative

service complements a service

that Nice’s and, more generally, the

Metropolitan area’s inhabitants as a

whole have enjoyed for some time

now: “Allo Mairies”, reachable by

dialling 39 06 or online at 3906@

nicecotedazur.org.

• ALLO MAIRIES - dial 39 06 to

report any anomalies observed in

the public space (lighting, sanitation,

obstructions, garbage dumping,

etc.), as well as for any requests

relating to the City of Nice or the

Metropolitan area; Allo Mairies call

centre agents deal direct with the

800 to 1000 daily calls to the 39 06

switchboard or put them through to

the departments concerned.

Whatever the case, the City or

Metropolitan public authorities take

concrete action to ensure user

satisfaction.

• SERVICE BLEU: a service helping

Nice’s inhabitants become actors in

improving their living environment…

What citizen has not at some

point during his or her wanderings

through the city wanted to call up

city hall and report an anomaly

or malfunction, in a nutshell,

something not right in the public

environment – from pothole to off-

24

Easy admin

kilter lamppost, from a fallen branch

blocking the way to a burnt-out

bulb to a faulty automatic sprinkler

system? And above all, who has not

dreamt of their report being acted

on immediately or within 48 hours,

depending on the seriousness of the

matter in hand?

Well, the dream has come true in

Nice at least, with the introduction

of an application available from

Apple Store and Android that

enables downloaders to use their

Smartphone or I Phone to report and

geo-locate any anomaly observed in

the public space, and even add an

explanatory photograph.

“Whistleblowers” are informed by

email of progress in rectifying the

anomalies they report and, the case

arising, of any problems delaying

completion of work. Getting about in

the heart of an interconnected city

also means favouring the individual

and human relations!

Beyond its positive impact on the

urban environment, Service Bleu –

which is also reachable by phone at

Allo Mairies by dialling 39 06 – is a

vector for user appropriation of and

consequent respect for the public

space.

Benoît is a regular Service Bleu and Allo Mairies user and makes a habit of emailing or phoning 3906 to report small problems that could well become majorly detrimental to quality of life if left undealt with. A hole forming on Avenue Flirey, a large pothole on Chemin des Chênes Blancs, an unsteady lamppost in front of 52 Rue Théodore de Banville? It is reported…and quickly put right unless any unforeseen problems arise, and loyal “whistleblower” Benoît is informed. Service Bleu gets as many as 800 calls a month, with 90% of problems reported solved within 48 hours.

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

Who has never dreamt of having

a discreet guide on call as they

make their way around the city,

to whisper information in their

ear when desired –on a church’s

façade, Vieux-Nice’s masterpieces

of baroque art, works on exhibit at

the Modern and Contemporary Art

Museums, Promenade du Paillon’s

plant heritage, the botanical and

zoological wonders of Phoenix

Park, or the Matisse and perched

villages roads?

Who has never felt rising

annoyance as they wait “blindly”

on the sidewalk’s edge for a bus

that seems to take forever to

arrive?

And who, not knowing quite

where they are, has never hoped

to be instantly handed a map of an

unfamiliar neighbourhood as they

get off at one of Nice’s 1,600 bus

and tram stops?

Use of new technologies is

widespread across Nice and the

Metropolitan area – to inform,

educate, and generally make

everyday life easier…effortlessly

and on demand, as long as you

have a Smartphone or NFC phone

to hand.

NFC (Near Field Communication,)

is a close-range communication

technology enabling exchange of

secured data between a reader and

a mobile terminal (Smartphone,

NFC phone or credit card for

contactless payments).

Phoenix Park was the first place to

use “Beacon” technology, which

may well be extended to other

sites given its low cost and high

level of performance. Beacons

are unobtrusive wireless sensors

installed in specific locations

and able to communicate with

Smartphones equipped with

Bluetooth Low Energy systems

within a 20- to 30-metre radius. A

visitor’s location determines what

information he or she receives in

situ.

Once such interactive terminals

are installed, this could be indoors

or outdoors – in a museum or park

for example, to inform visitors

in light-hearted fashion, or in a

store to guide customers to the

right shelves and make payments

without having to wait at the

cashier’s counter.

So far, 2000 tags (NFC, QR Code

and Beacon terminals) have been

installed across the Metropolitan

area!

26

Cultur’code and live news flashes!

Using a Smartphone or NFC phone, you can now get information on any treasures of urban heritage you might come across on your way across the city, as well as real-time updates on bus and tram

movements. And as for Phoenix Park – it is already well and truly in the ”Beacon” age as far as guiding visitors is concerned!

Bernard and Nicole are on holiday on the Côte d’Azur and have decided to leave their car at Le Rouret park-and-ride facility in the north of Nice and explore the city by tram and bus. First stop, Cours Saleya market. Using her Smartphone, Nicole snags the NFC tag on the bus shelter to obtain information on which line to take and the name of the right stop. In Vieux-Nice, the couple get acquainted with the history of its monuments, view photos, listen to the audio guide… and discover the city as they stroll through it, just as easily as if they were accompanied by a real flesh-and-blood guide!

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

Paying for purchases without

having to struggle with a wallet

that refuses to leave your pocket or

search in vain for a purse lost in the

depths of your handbag! Without

leaving the store weighed down by

half a ton of small change! Even, in

the not too distant future, without

having to wait at the cashier’s desk,

now that “Beacon” technology is on

the way!… Strictly speaking, none

of this is exactly new in Nice, which

pioneered contactless payment.

In 2010, the city launched a range

of NFC services accessible via

users’ cellular phones and including

purchase and validation of public

transport tickets, Vélobleu and Auto

Bleue rentals, payment for services

supplied by local government

departments and in over 2000

stores (the number is going up on

a daily basis!), as well as a “magic”

multishop loyalty card integrated

into the phone. The range has

also always included access to a

selection of practical, cultural and

historical information.

The NFC system needs no

introduction these days. All you

have to do is put your Smartphone

or NFC credit card (on offer from

growing numbers of banks) up

to a terminal so that payment is

recorded. Easy, secure and no time

wasted! It is just a matter of the

action becoming a matter of course!

Not yet a matter of course, but well

on the way to being so in the United

States, is payment via the Beacon

system (from the name given

to the micro-sensors installed in

museums, parks and stores. Here,

all you do is use your Smartphone

equipped with a Bluetooth Low

Energy system to flash the barcode

of the item you want, recording

the transaction without having to

go anywhere near a cash register!

Watch out, though – your account is

debited all the same!

Go ahead… you’re all paid up!

Consumers are well on the way to making contactless payment part of their everyday lives. A revolution long in the making, perhaps, but now

in full swing!

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur NFC’s project partners are: the City of Nice, Régie Lignes d’Azur, Nice Office of Trade and Crafts, and Nice Tourism and Congress Office.

Committed to the development

of digital innovation in the service

of healthcare, Métropole Nice

Côte d’Azur chose the east of the

city as the location for a sector

with unparalleled development

prospects. As a 2nd hub of the

Metropolitan area’s burgeoning

economic activity, the east of the

city makes a perfect complement

to the Smart City taking shape

alongside the Var in the heart of the

Operation of National Interest.

Nor was it simply by chance

that the eastside was selected;

here, Pasteur 2 (Nice’s new

university hospital centre), Antoine

Lacassagne Cancer Centre, the

Face and Neck Institute, Saint-

François and Saint-Luc Clinics,

major actors in the private sector

(Saint-Georges Clinic and Les

Sources private geriatric hospital),

Sainte-Marie Specialized Hospital

Centre, research centres (IRCAN)

and training institutes (university

hospital centre and Red Cross)

go to make up an embryonic

“European Healthcare City” all

set to make its appearance on the

world stage – a dozen or more

research, training and healthcare

establishments forming a unique

natural cluster.

And shortly, the cluster will include

a new building, “27 Delvalle”,

which will house the “Living Lab

PAILLON2020”, accommodating

the head office of FSE (FRANCE

28

eHealthcare: economy and wellness

27 rue Delvalle, in the East of the city, is the birthplace of an economic initiative devoted to “digital health and the silver economy”, now

making rapid headway at the service of innovation, territorial development, and the area’s inhabitants.

SILVER ÉCO), the Centre

d’Innovation en Usages et en Santé

(CIU-S – Centre for Innovation

and Usages in Healthcare) and

the Metropolitan area’s healthcare

incubator at the European Centre

for Businesses and Innovation

(ECBI).

“Living Lab Santé PAILLON2020”

will act as an accelerator of new

solutions at the service of users. Its

strength lies in creation of a single

window facilitating comprehension

of the ecosystem on the part

of “ideas people” looking to

locate in the area, develop their

products, solutions and services,

and construct a new healthcare

model based on the population’s

wellbeing.

The Living Lab will include

a demonstration/simulation

apartment for the housebound,

designed to inform, raise

awareness, test and accompany

homecare or a return home

following hospitalization, as well

as train medical and socio-medical

professionals in NICT.

Such innovation focuses on

development of interconnected

systems, as well as on creation of

new healthcare pathways leading

to improved treatment of patients

and providing health professionals

with the opportunity to assimilate

new practices.

Through its business incubator,

the ECBI, Métropole Nice Côte

30

d’Azur hosts startups developing

innovative projects for improving

citizens’ health in everyday life,

with a view to preventing chronic

diseases and treating pathologies

with no final cure. One example

is Ignilife, a pioneering company

in the field of digital healthcare,

founded by an experienced team

of professionals from the medical,

technological and business world,

which will set up shop at “27

Delvalle” to take advantage of the

cluster in developing its activities.

Its objective is to motivate people

to make significant and lasting

changes in their lifestyles to help

reduce risk of chronic illness. Its

motto is “Prevent rather than

cure”. Prevention of chronic

illnesses reduces medical care

consumption through application

of rigorously developed Evidence-

Based Medicine (EBM) support

programs. The easy-to-access web

interface includes full services

able to analyze a wide range of

data to monitor patients in their

entirety, where body and mind are

inextricably connected.

Another medical innovation

promoted by the CIU-S:

The VEADISTA (Veille à Distance

et Alerte Intelligente – remote

monitoring and smart alert)

project, which aims to develop

a technological solution for

remote monitoring of frail

patients. Certified by the Secured

Communication Solutions (SCS)

competitive cluster, the project is

being developed by Entr’ouvert,

at the head of an academic and

industrial consortium. Biomedical

sensors (recording temperature and

pulse) are attached to a “patch”

affixed to the patient. Physiological

data is disseminated by reading

devices using RFID technology and

transmitted to health professionals,

giving them automatic remote

warning of any deterioration in a

patient’s physical condition.

32

Set in the heart of Métropole Nice

Côte d’Azur, the “Smart City”

is no longer an abstract concept

– the increasing numbers of

field experiments carried out are

already having a visible impact on

everyday life.

Sharing and innovation are the

keys to the Smart City’s success,

which can only be achieved

through close collaboration

between the worlds of research,

higher education and innovation.

The Mediterranean Institute for

Risk, Environment and Sustainable

Development (IMREDD) is

a perfect illustration of this

ambition. Developed jointly by

the Metropolitan area and Nice-

Sophia Antipolis University, the

institute’s mission is to motivate

collaboration between the

business and research worlds,

at the service of the territory and

professional integration of younger

generations.

Located in the heart of the

Var Plain, in Nice Méridia, it

has become a generator of

innovation, a centre for validation

of innovative ideas and products,

a space encouraging experiment,

technological demonstrations and

their practical applications, and a

centre for training the Metropolitan

area’s future managers and

engineers.

And finally, the link between

the Mediterranean Institute and

Nice-Sophia Antipolis University,

cornerstone of the future Eco-

Campus, stands as a model

example of a partnership between

a Metropolis and a University.

Besides, within the framework

of the scientific “Smart and

Sustainable Metropolis”

32

Digital technology, cornerstone of tomor-row’s city development

Successful development of a “Smart City” depends on close collaboration between all of the Metropolitan area’s partners in order to meet the expectations of its inhabitants and optimize management of the city. In order to maintain its leadership in the digital revolution,

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur is fostering such collaboration by developing appropriate tools and sites.

program, supporting Smart City

Development, Métropole Nice

Côte d’Azur decided to create the

“Smart City Innovation Centre”:

The Centre’s mission is to develop

collaboration between public

research laboratories, industrial

concerns, SMEs, and local

government.

With such closely knit smart

networking in place, the

Metropolitan area has become a

large-scale innovation laboratory

for development of the Smart City,

fostering collaboration between its

various public and private partners,

such as IBM, EDF, Orange and

Cisco. One example of a model

innovative collaboration is the data

and urban hyper vision platform,

subject of a 3-year research and

development program concluded

between IBM and Métropole Nice

Côte d’Azur. The program provides

the Metropolitan area with an

opportunity to create and possess

its own data warehouse, develop

its new services, and disseminate

digital solutions designed to

improve management of the area.

Grouping data together, which

encourages maximum utilization

of the information collected by

the 10,000 sensors installed in

the city, including some 2000

dedicated to environmental

problems (both outdoors to

measure air quality or watercourse

flows and within networks to

monitor the good operation of

drinking-water distribution or the

sanitation system) enables setup

of a new mode of centralized

governance.

In the end, it is the Metropolitan

area’s inhabitants’ living

environment and quality of life that

will benefit.

34

With 1,020 high-definition cameras

including 15 “nomads” – i.e. one for

every 333 inhabitants – broadcasting

the city’s movements in real time

on to a wall of screens monitored in

shifts round the clock by a 70-strong

team, Nice boasts France’s first

Urban Supervision Centre.

And to ensure yet more

effectiveness, it is soon to be

provided with cameras operating at

360°, and has already been equipped

with a smart video surveillance

system capable of detecting and

instantly transmitting any abnormal

changes in the urban environment,

such as accidents, crowd

movement, suspicious packages, or

mobs gathering.

This high-performance apparatus is

further backed up by a system of

interconnection with private cameras

installed in the communal areas of

buildings managed by local authority

landlords and a number of shopping

malls.

This closely-woven network enables

an informed watch to be kept on

the entire area, with collected

information shared with the

national police, gendarmerie, Public

Prosecutor’s office and departmental

fire and rescue brigade.

It facilitates coordination of

municipal police teams on the

ground, contributing to a total of

2,582 arrests between 2010 and

2015 and fulfilment of 2,688 court

orders issued by magistrates for the

purposes of ongoing investigations.

These are telling figures, seeing that

when the CSU was initially launched,

91% of Nice’s inhabitants questioned

were in favour of video surveillance,

which provides greater security

without interfering with private

lives, serves justice and encourages

protection of the environment.

The effect that urban supervision has

on the environment is less talked

about but no less real for all that.

The “Video verbalisation” system

(using cameras to book road-users

for minor infractions) leads to freer

flowing traffic as more and more

offending vehicles (usually double-

parked) are taken off the road, which

in turn reduces emissions of toxic

gases harmful to public health and

the environment. And as it is known

that a single case of double-parking

can disrupt downtown traffic for a

kilometre or more …

The CSU is an invaluable aid to living

better together in Nice.

34

See it all… it’ssafer that way!

The Urban Supervision Centre (CSU) has become an acknowledged tool at the service of living well together. Permanent observation of

the public space contributes to greater safety, serves justice, and helps reduce pollution. A thousand or so HD cameras operating 24/7 at the

service of inhabitants, visitors and the area as a whole!

A crowd suddenly forms along the rocks on La Réserve beach, Boulevard Franck-Pilatte. An image of panic-stricken people splashes across one of the CSU’ screens, and then shows a little girl who has just hurt herself jumping from one rock to the next. The emergency services are instantly informed and set off immediately… even though no calls from eye-witnesses have yet come through to the fire brigade’s switchboard!

EvEryday lifE digital tEchnology

36

If there is anywhere in France

or even the world to equal Los

Angeles or New-York, where

public data circulates unhindered,

it has to be Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur, which has developed a

high-performance shared Open

Data portal (http://opendata.

nicecotedazur.org/).

Disseminated in the Metropolitan

area’s public and private space, data

is put to good use by innovative

entrepreneurs, who make the

utmost of such unpatented,

copyright-free “basic material”

in creation of new services and

applications dedicated to improving

the population’s living conditions.

The concept of liberating

information, which fits perfectly into

the larger project of a sustainable

interconnected Metropolitan area,

is of service to start-up promoters

focusing on innovation as well as to

the area’s economic development

– in fact, to all users in the region,

whether inhabitants or tourists,

industrialists or students, senior

citizens or people of reduced

mobility, young working people or

pensioners…

In the end, it is the whole population

that benefits from access to

information updated in real time!

No tiresome searches or time

wasting toing-and-froing – just log

on to your computer or Smartphone

to find out what is going on in

the way of outings or shows, get

your hands on a map of polling

stations, check museum and the

latest exhibitions’ opening days

and times, introduce yourself to

the plant species growing along

Promenade du Paillon, cast an

eye over geographical maps of

the region, check on sports facility

locations and possible uses, see

what parking space is available

in the City of Nice’s car parks, or,

thanks to partnerships with the

Régie Lignes d’Azur, view bus and

tram timetables and any disruptions

on the lines…

And to further boost innovation at

the public’s service (along with the

local economy!), Métropole Nice

36

Keeping yourselfinformed… and

sharing what you know

Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur has recently inaugurated “Open Data” internet portal provides users with in-depth knowledge of the area and what it has to offer. A way of enjoying a controlled environment to the

full and encouraging innovative entrepreneurs.

Côte d’Azur, in liaison with Sophia

Antipolis Technology Park’s Telecom

Valley, recently organized the

“Smart App Contest”, a competition

for apps based on open data and

focusing on the theme of the smart

interconnected city.

For 24 hours, during a real digital-

engineering marathon – the

hackathon! – held on Nice-

Premium’s premises, young

creators produced prototypes of

new apps designed to improve

users’ lives, and focusing on

such areas as tourism, transport,

energy, citizenship, sustainable

development and sport.

Seven projects were awarded

prizes at this first edition, bearing

respectively on neighbourhood

recreational activities for

kids, optimization of sleeping

time, sharing of tourists’ local

experiences, treasure-hunt

software, optimization of transport

costs, energy consumption by

companies, and emergency

alerts with information facilitating

immediate action.

Initial objectives have been

achieved: encouraging creation

towards liberation of energies and

the economy, development of

services the public deserve in order

to share a controlled area where the

living is good, and self-expression

in the midst of a virtuous circle of

applications.

38

The French Tech initiative

undertaken by Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur alongside the innovative

conurbations of Sophia Antipolis,

Cannes-Pays de Lérins and Pays

de Grasse seeks to give an extra

push to Alpes-Maritimes’ digital

sector. Innovating, closely knit

and dynamic, it has become a real

driving-force for the economy of

the future, focused on international

recognition, sustainable

management and optimization of

services on offer to inhabitants.

The first challenge, if the initiative

was to have true weight and

meaning, was to ensure a

successful bringing together of the

four territories, each of which has

its own specific areas of interest:

information technologies for Sophia

Antipolis, the smart interconnected

city for Métropole Nice Côte

d’Azur, digital imaging for Cannes-

Pays de Lérins, and excellence in

the field of perfumery and aromas

for Grasse.

The second challenge, to be met

with the combined support of the

Alpes-Maritimes Departmental

Council, the CCI, Nice Sophia

Antipolis University and a wide

selection of digital entrepreneurs

located across the area, was to

present a coherent submission,

overseen by Team Côte d’Azur,

spotlighting the Côte d’Azur digital

cluster. This latter recorded 7%

growth in 2013, with creation of

945 companies active in the digital

sector over the last five years and

a total of 65 prizes and distinctions

obtained, including 20 international

awards.

Following in France’s footsteps,

Côte d’Azur aims to position itself

on the world map of digital nations

and regions. With 1,500 enterprises

in the field of digital technology,

21,000 employees and 4 billion

Euros in turnover, the area’s IT

cluster is already acknowledged

as one of Europe’s leaders in high-

tech.

38

French Tech: a “made in Côte d’Azur” label!

The prospect of belonging to the closed circle of France’s most outstanding start-up ecosystems prompted Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur

and the innovative conurbations of Sophia Antipolis, Cannes and Grasse to join forces and mobilize their resources: a first in history and

the beginning of a success story.

Standing together to obtain the

label, with a shared budget,

between metropolis, of 215 million

Euros thrown in as part of the

Programme d’Investissement

d’Avenir (Program for Investment

in the Future) to support research

and job creation, the four territories

seek to dynamize growth and take

a leading role in the spread of

digital technology.

Dialogue, networking, multipolar

organization, opening of “Totem

buildings” fostering encounters

between researchers, students,

teachers and entrepreneurs in

latest-generation spaces dedicated

to collaboration and innovation, and

setup of related clusters such as

Nice-Premium and Allianz Riviera

are all part and parcel of a concerted

action to achieve an ambition with 5

main focuses:

• developing, maintaining and

running a fertile ecosystem;

• facilitating creation and

development of innovative

enterprises;

• speeding up growth of startups to

turn them into “tech champions”;

• ensuring the reputation of French

Tech Côte d’Azur spreads thanks to

new communication tools;

• deploying infrastructures suited to

development of digital technology.

40

Mobile Solutions to optimize

control processes, in real time

Virginie Lafon

Pierre Lafon

1Check is a SaaS solution

enabling optimization of all

tasks and processes connected

with accommodation in hotels,

resorts, vacation residences

and campsites, developed with

the help of Meilleur Ouvrier

de France Virginie Lafon’s

professional know-how. The

solution is based on fieldwork

and enables higher rates of

productivity on the part of teams

by improving work conditions,

so as to ensure customers enjoy

the best possible service quality.

We have developed a flexible

technical solution using an

Android application, which

addresses problems of

controlling, checking and

monitoring processes at a

distance and in real time. And

not only in the hotel sector - it

can also be extended to a whole

range of other areas, including

retirement homes, golf clubs,

convention centres, apartment

buildings, car-hire firms,

tourist residences and car-park

management.

1Check is the solution for

digitalizing processes requiring

control, monitoring and possible

alerts, in real time and with users

on the move.

Solar Energy for Smart Cities

Raphaël Brière

David Le Breton

Christophe Lephilibert

Advansolar is positioned at

the crossroads of two growth

markets: solar/photovoltaic,

which has been increasing for

some time now, and sustainable

mobility, a rapidly expanding

area of interest. With proven

expertise in electric mobility,

solar energy and design &

communication, it has designed

and now market the SunPod®

range, a new generation of

smart, energy-autonomous

street furniture. All SunPod®

items are movable, connected

to the internet and delivered

ready for use. They may be

purchased or hired, and are

of particular interest to such

customers as local government

departments and actors in the

event organization, mobility,

street furniture and energy

sectors. Advansolar aims to

become European leader

in “solar electric mobility”

and “zero emission” travel

respecting the environment and

ensuring better quality of life.

Be a major actor in the Smart

City development.

Energy savings generators

with an innovative,

educational and playful

methodology

Jessica Pellegrini

Gilberto Dias

Azzura Lights is showing the way

with regard to making savings

on energy and water. With an

innovative approach to awareness-

raising, Azzura Lights promotes

energy economizing through

a system of “energy savings”

certificates. The company has

obtained numerous distinctions,

the two most recent being

the Alpes-Maritimes General

Council’s Trophée de l’Innovation

du Plan Climat Énergie and

the “Entreprise Remarquable

France” label from the national

“Initiative France” network. The

label rewards the company for

its commitments and societal,

innovative, environmental and

territorial values. Our initiative has

been recognized as an example of

social innovation by CRESS PACA

and the CNRS.

Whether you are an energy

distributor or supplier, social

housing landlord, local

government department,

company, industrial concern or

joint property owner, Azzura Lights

is here to work alongside you

in setting up and implementing

your actions towards energy

consumption control and

sustainable development.

Cloud Connected Universal

Remote Control

Jean-Louis Peyre

Djamil Elaidi

Positioned where the worlds

of connected devices, access

control and Smart Cities cross,

ComThings designs and

markets solutions facilitating

access management. This start-

up has developed a solution

simplifying access control for

garage doors/gateways, its main

market being shared private

car park facilities. It enables

car-park owners to improve

return on their land by renting

out their space. How? Thanks to

the 3 components on which its

technology is founded: Cloud,

Smartphone and Bluetooth

Smart accessory. No more need

for car-park owners and users

to exchange remote controls.

No modification of existing

infrastructures required – unlike

other solutions on the market. It

has managed to “dematerialize”

the physical remote control,

which also opens up other areas

to us, including home delivery,

connected vehicles and home

help, for all of which it can

provide solutions.

40 STARTUPS

Your path to better life

Fabrice Pakin

David Bessoudo

At a time when major changes

are underway in our healthcare

system, Ignilife is convinced

that prevention is becoming

everyone’s major priority. In its

eyes, prevention means investing

in one’s wellbeing and health.

This being so, Ignilife provides a

mobile web platform designed

to motivate people to make

significant and lasting changes

in their lifestyles to help them

reduce risks of developing chronic

illnesses. It provides all-round

accompaniment, tackling all

factors that impact health: stress,

nutrition, physical activity, sleep,

addictions, and so on. It sees

people in their entirety, where

body and mind are inextricably

connected. Users reply to an

overall assessment of their

health; a personalized score helps

them get to know themselves

better and set themselves goals,

which personalized programs

then enable them to achieve, so

becoming actors in ensuring their

continued good health.

Rethinking Energy Efficiency

Christophe Robillard

Seven years of research

along with trial installations on

customer sites have resulted

in development of a reliable

high-performance system: Watt

seeker technology. Qualisteo is

proud of having created a unique

technology that has been tested

out and validated by R&D teams

belonging to some of France’s

leading actors in the energy

sector: augmented measurement

of energy consumption. Qualisteo

provides full multidimensional

accompaniment: it installs, audits,

measures and interprets all

available data via its measurement

system. Along with its expertise

and 360° vision, it also provides

continuous monitoring so as to

be able to take immediate action

and ensure optimal predictive

maintenance. In this way, it

helps make significant reductions

in energy bills and improve its

customers’ environmental impact.

Over 200 deployments enable

our customers to optimize their

energy impact and consumption

thanks to a solution guaranteeing

100% satisfaction.

International Graduate School of Design

in Sustainable Innovation for humans

solutions, in Nice

Patrick Le Quement

Marc Van Peteghem

Maurille Larivière

All tried and tested graduates of the busi-

ness world – Patrick was Director of Design

at Renault for 22 years, Marc is a naval

architect and designed the “BMW Oracle”

sailboat, winner of the America’s Cup, and

Maurille is a designer and teacher at France’s

top engineering schools – the school’s

three founders have developed their own

pedagogic methodology based on carrying

out concrete projects in partnership with

companies and institutions in Nice and throu-

ghout the world. The school opened in 2013

and now has 41 students, 45 teachers and

9 industrial partners, including Air Liquide,

BMWi, Hermès, Renault, Schneider Electric,

Sita-Suez Environnement, Toyota and Vis-

teon. The complete course (5 years) leads to

a Master’s in Design and Sustainable Inno-

vation. Teaching philosophy: “designers don

not just create beautiful objects, they also

create new uses”. The SDS is a member of

Côte d’Azur University (UCA) Community of

Universities and Research Establishments.

“Last year, the school was also cofounder

of a “FabLab”, the ECOLAB Côte d’Azur

Association, which enables students to

create their own three-dimensional models

and prototypes.

GlossaryBeacon : geolocation tag

whose accuracy is greater than

conventional GPS, especially in

indoor environments. It allows

to interact with a Smartphone

or a tablet through Bluetooth

technology. The user can thus

receive contextualized messages

according to its position within a

site (shop, tourist park...) equipped

with beacons.

NFC / Contactless

Communication: “Near Field

Communication” (= Contactless

communication) is a close-

range wireless communication

technology enabling exchange

of information up to a distance

of around 10 centimeters. NFC /

contactless technology enables

users to read information by putting

their cellphones up to electronic

tags installed in the street, in

bus shelters, on monuments, on

posters, and so on...

QR Code : this is a type of

barcode made up of black modules

arranged on a white square. Their

layout defines the information the

code contains. QR (short for “quick

response”) means that code

content can be decoded quickly

after being read by a smartphone

app. QR codes refer to internet

pages delivering the required

information.

Smart City : a city that

technological innovation and new

means of management are now

making possible. The expression

is often associated with the terms

“connected” and “sustainable”.

A “smart” city is one in which

information and communication

technologies play an increasingly

important role in the context

of responsible and sustainable

development.

A far cry, then, from the “growth

at any price” that marked previous

industrial revolutions.

4242

Smart Grid : “intelligent”

electricity grids use digital

technologies for improved

management of electric energy.

The new meter enables more

flexible management on the

part of users, who, knowing

in real time exactly how much

they are consuming, can take

appropriate action and become

“ConsumActors”.

Smartphone : “intelligent”

telephones are not just for making

phone calls, but also enable use

of applications, the most popular

these days being internet access

and emailing.

NFC tag: equipped with an

electronic chip, such tags deliver

information direct. All you need do

is put your NFC phone up to one

without even having to go through

an app.

© C

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– P

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2015