Coming to the front of City Hall to greet me is the Mayor of Issy-les Moulineaux, Andre Santini, as big in life as he is in French mythology. I was told by the Canadian Embassy in Paris that Mayor Santini is an important and powerful politician in France since he is also an important Minister for the country. Despite all this importance, he rushed to meet me in the lobby, having just won a debate in the French Congress. He seemed pleased but rushed. So much to do, he explains, as he shepherds me into his second floor office. His office is a mastery of feng shui with light, water, wind and wood. He is a student of Asian Studies, especially the Japanese language. He proudly speaks of his many projects in Issy but just as quickly focuses on his vision to develop a sister city relationship with a similar-minded Japanese city. Ichikawa is in his sights. Ichikawa is one of the communities that attained a Top 7 Intelligent Community status in 2006. Issy has been a Top 7 Intelligent Community in 2005, 2007 and 2009. These are clearly like-minded communities and building relationships among ICF Alumni cities makes sense. But that is for another report.
Here I am in Issy-les Moulineaux, "Issy" for short, I am told, because it is too difficult to say, especially by foreigners. This is a community on the edge of Paris within sight of the Eiffel Tower, but it is a different place altogether. In a word: tech-city par-excellence.
I am here to undertake a site visit of one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities. Reading the ICF Intelligent Community Application is never like seeing an Intelligent Community it in its flesh. It could look like any-town, anywhere, but scratch beneath the surface and you can see what it means to be an intelligent community. Issy is a medium-sized community of 60,000 residents, but it attracts another 70,000 workers during each and every working day. Yes that is right, you didn't read it incorrectly. More people work there than live there. Of course it adds to the local taxes, but it does so much more for the community. The community looks very well off. It effuses a very high quality of life. Intermixed with shops, residential, educational institutions and parks are high tech companies, research labs and brand new edifices boasting European headquarters for Cisco, Microsoft and France Telecom's Orange.
At the Orange Labs in Issy I am hosted to a telepresence discussion with their labs in Poland. I also am offered the opportunity to experience a brand new 3D video-conferencing experience. I have never seen anything like it. "You are the first member of the public to try this. What do you think?" I am asked. I am sure that they say that to all their guests. But no monsieur, I am assured that this is not yet public. Eight cameras focus on you and as long as you do not move around too much the depth of the image is clearly there. When a box is shown to me I feel that I can reach out and grab it. Highly inventive, I can see applications to 3D planning applications in city planning approvals. I am assured that they have already thought of that and Issy already has a 3D building profile system on the web. Now I know that I am already living in the future. One company after another are profiled on my tour. I am welcomed at an incubator where new ideas are being developed by young entrepreneurs such as a new way to undertake planning approvals; another focuses on design; another develops products to improve efficiencies; and of course, there are always those building new and highly mobile applications.
Here I am in Issy-les Moulineaux, "Issy" for short, I am told, because it is too difficult to say, especially by foreigners. This is a community on the edge of Paris within sight of the Eiffel Tower, but it is a different place altogether. In a word: tech-city par-excellence.
I am here to undertake a site visit of one of the Top 7 Intelligent Communities. Reading the ICF Intelligent Community Application is never like seeing an Intelligent Community it in its flesh. It could look like any-town, anywhere, but scratch beneath the surface and you can see what it means to be an intelligent community. Issy is a medium-sized community of 60,000 residents, but it attracts another 70,000 workers during each and every working day. Yes that is right, you didn't read it incorrectly. More people work there than live there. Of course it adds to the local taxes, but it does so much more for the community. The community looks very well off. It effuses a very high quality of life. Intermixed with shops, residential, educational institutions and parks are high tech companies, research labs and brand new edifices boasting European headquarters for Cisco, Microsoft and France Telecom's Orange.
At the Orange Labs in Issy I am hosted to a telepresence discussion with their labs in Poland. I also am offered the opportunity to experience a brand new 3D video-conferencing experience. I have never seen anything like it. "You are the first member of the public to try this. What do you think?" I am asked. I am sure that they say that to all their guests. But no monsieur, I am assured that this is not yet public. Eight cameras focus on you and as long as you do not move around too much the depth of the image is clearly there. When a box is shown to me I feel that I can reach out and grab it. Highly inventive, I can see applications to 3D planning applications in city planning approvals. I am assured that they have already thought of that and Issy already has a 3D building profile system on the web. Now I know that I am already living in the future. One company after another are profiled on my tour. I am welcomed at an incubator where new ideas are being developed by young entrepreneurs such as a new way to undertake planning approvals; another focuses on design; another develops products to improve efficiencies; and of course, there are always those building new and highly mobile applications.
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