The Nice Côte d’Azur region of France will soon be known not just for its beauty—but also for its “brains.”
IBM and Nice have announced a $5.4 million agreement to build a new information infrastructure that will transform the scenic and sophisticated tourist destination into a Smart City.
Through better use of data and information sharing, as well as a new research and development project, the city plans to put in place the technical foundation to improve mobility and transportation, environmental quality, and energy efficiency—and concurrently, to reduce risk.
View over Nice on the French Riviera, South of France (image via Shutterstock)
The area is one of 13 Ecocité zones— areas dedicated to eco-friendly urban planning—designated by the French government. The agreement with Armonk, N.Y.-based technology and consulting giant IBM (News - Alert) will help support this transformation to a smarter city and foster urban innovation, including the creation of new sources of information and open applications designed in collaboration with local businesses.
“We are proud to be part of a research and development project for the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur,” said Christian Estrosi, Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur president. “This will help create employment, drive new innovation and improve the attractiveness of the region for citizens and business alike.”
As part of the project, the IBM Intelligent Operations Center will provide city leaders with an intelligent dashboard to monitor and harness information in real time, so that it can be shared across departments and throughout Nice and its 46 municipalities, enabling new levels of collaboration. The dashboard uses data visualization and deep analytics to help agencies prepare for problems, coordinate and manage response efforts and enhance the ongoing efficiency of city operations. It also can be used to spot patterns or trends and explore scenarios to predict the impact of future events.
Initially, the technology will be used to address the following areas:
- Smart mobility - By analyzing massive amounts of transportation-related data and using it to predict and improve traffic flow, driving conditions and mobility can be improved for drivers. The data can also be used to develop new transportation-related services and solutions.
- Environmental quality - Urban monitoring networks will help address environmental issues, such as air and water quality and urban noise.
- Energy efficiency - Data management systems designed to analyze the production, supply and consumption of energy will help increase energy efficiency and decrease global warming.
- Risk management - Systems for gathering and analyzing data associated with potential risks — such as weather-related problems or flooding— will make it possible to anticipate natural and industrial risks and take preventative action.
This technology initiative is an extension of a bold plan created by city leaders in 2010, designed to advance the City of Nice and improve services for citizens. It also addresses many of the recommendations from the city’s participation in the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge.
“By developing a predictive and open data platform for the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur, IBM is helping build a new model for smart mobility, environmental quality, energy efficiency and risk management. We are honored to be working with Nice and its forward-thinking leaders. Through this contract signature, IBM confirms its dynamic and lasting commitment in this region,” said Alain Bénichou, president of IBM France.
Edited by Alisen Downey