Conferences

The secret power of small towns

Alexandre Bosshard – City of Pully, Switzerland

17 nov. 2020, 15:00 – 16:00 – Plenary session

About the conference

In many cases, when the concept of Smart City is discussed, very large cities such as Barcelona, Singapore, San Francisco or Copenhagen are cited as examples.

But what about small cities with a population of a few (tens of) thousands? Are they destined to replicate the solutions developed by the megacities as they are, or can they be actors in their digital development?

Through concrete examples of digital projects carried out by the City of Pully in Switzerland, this conference will address the challenges for small towns and identify their strengths to successfully complete the digital transition.

About the speaker

Passionate about projects combining human and technical aspects, Alexandre Bosshard has successfully managed several Smart City projects in the fields of digital mobility, open source management of underground networks and e-government in partnership with other cities, the academic world, industry and international institutions.

The City of Pully

The City of Pully, located in the canton of Vaud in the west of Switzerland and close to the city of Lausanne, has a population of 18,495 inhabitants (2019). Over the past few years, the municipality has developed several Smart City projects which you can find on the dedicated website.

How can elected representatives be better equipped for the digital transformation?

Sébastien Tremblay – Laval University, Canada

Pierre-Luc Lachance – Quebec City, Canada

24 nov. 2020, 15:00 – 16:00 – Plenary session

About the conference

The aim of this conference will be to present a unique training initiative put forward in close collaboration with the territory's stakeholders (i.e. elected representatives, companies, students and researchers) and enabling the development of future skills. The tailor-made Master's degree programme in Intelligence and Transformation, launched in the fall of 2019 by Laval University (Quebec, Canada) as part of the Chantiers d'Avenir, allows students to carry out a concrete research project in partnership with industry and public authorities as part of the pursuit of an academic curriculum leading to a graduate degree.

During this conference, Mr. Sébastien Tremblay (full professor at the School of Psychology, Université Laval) and Mr. Pierre-Luc Lachance (elected member of the City of Québec, municipal councillor for the Saint-Roch - Saint-Sauveur district and student in the Master's degree program in Intelligence and Transformation) will present the program and its objectives and illustrate its relevance as a tool for cohesion, growth and collaboration between cities, universities and industry by discussing the project carried out by Mr. Lachance as part of his participation in the program.

More specifically, the project aims to establish best practices in the field of digital tools, 21st century skills and smart cities, in order to participate in a paradigm shift in the municipal apparatus with regard to the roles and responsibilities of elected officials, as well as the relations with the administration and citizens.

About the speakers

Sébastien Tremblay has been a professor at Université Laval since 2001, honorary professor at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom and director of the Co-DOT laboratory. He is the co-founder and director of Université Laval's custom-made professional master's program in intelligence and transformation. Between 2015 and 2020, he was director of the Joint Research Unit in Urban Sciences, a consortium including Quebec City, Laval University, Thales Research and Technology Canada, the Quebec Metro High Tech Park and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique. Its research program focuses on the development of intelligent systems to maximize human performance and quality of life.

Pierre-Luc Lachance is a municipal councillor in Québec City for the district of Saint-Roch-Saint-Sauveur and deputy mayor for entrepreneurship and digital technology. He holds a specialized graduate degree in organization management and a multidisciplinary bachelor's degree from Université Laval.
Passionate about everything that contributes to making Quebec City shine, Mr. Lachance has worked for nearly 15 years in the events industry. Between 2014 and 2017, he was general manager and context creator for Québec Numérique. He has many accomplishments to his credit, notably as project manager for 3E Événements, member of the board of directors of Université Laval and general manager of the Quebec City Celtic Festival.

Territories in Transition: A Few Points of Reference in a Changing World

Luc de Brabandere – Founder Cartoonbase, Belgium

1st déc. 2020, 15:00 – 16:00 – Plenary session

About the conference

The paradox is before our eyes. Because sometimes we have the impression that everything is changing too fast - the Internet, globalisation, global warming, coronavirus... - but sometimes we have the impression that, on the contrary, nothing is changing - poverty, traffic jams, mentalities... -. How then can we reconcile these two points of view? How, as a territory or as a citizen, can we think about today's complex world? During this conference, Luc de Brabandere proposes to approach this question by going back to the origins of thought itself, because philosophy was born from the spectacle of change ...

About the speaker

Luc de Brabandere is an engineer in applied mathematics and a graduate in philosophy from UCL. A specialist in creativity and a Fellow of the Boston Consulting Group, he helps managers to think about their strategy. He founded the communication agency www.cartoonbase.com where artists and consultants work together. He teaches at various universities and is the author of numerous books.