GREAT: The winning project for the Highly-ambitious innovative regions scheme

Date:
Publish on 29/01/2020
Innovation has been at the heart of the Grenoble metropolitan region's identity for 150 years. Recognition for its ecosystem, based on collaborative work between the university, research and industry - with the support of the state and the local and regional authorities - goes well beyond national borders.

The GREAT project (GREnoble Alps Together) of the Grenoble metropolis, of which Univ. Grenoble Alpes is a partner, has been chosen among 117 projects within the framework of national call of expression of interest  « Territoires d’innovation de grande ambition » (Highly-ambitious innovative regions) of the State Programme of Investments for the Future.

At the instigation of the metropolitan authority Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, actors from higher education and research (Univ. Grenoble Alpes, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)the university hospital (CHU), etc..) have joined their forces with those of major industrial groups (Orange, Schneider Electric, Vicat, Engie, Transdev, etc.) and civic actors such as the Centre for Scientific, Technical and Industrial Culture (CCSTI) of Grenoble, the national theatre network Hexagone-Scène nationale Arts Sciences and the cooperative and participatory association La Péniche. Together, they have developed the GREAT project (GREnoble Alps Together) in response to the State Programme of Investments for the Future "Territoires d'innovation de grande ambition" call for expressions of interest.

"The shared economy for a city in transition"

In order to address the challenges posed by urban congestion, pollution and climate change, the GREAT project will base itself on the shared economy in order to develop innovative uses in collaboration with citizens. Three platforms will be put in place:

  •  A digital platform, the "cross-data library", will bring together all of the data collected in the region. It will be managed by companies, citizens and public services. The analysis of the data will enable the creation of new services for citizens;
  •  A network based on fablabs to make creativity and prototyping tools available to citizens and entrepreneurs;
  •  A civic lab will bring together expertise in the human and social sciences, digital technology and civic consultation in order to further the appropriation of regional innovations.

These platforms will focus first and foremost on the themes of mobility (car-sharing), energy (energy efficiency in industry and the construction industry, development of renewable energies and smart grids) and healthcare (actively involving citizens in their exposure to pollution).