The Forum of Interconnected: an unmissable event for smart territories
On March 10 and 11, 2025, Rennes hosted the Forum of Interconnected, a flagship event dedicated to digital transformation and smart territories. Organized by The Interconnected, this event brought together elected officials, businesses, experts, and stakeholders in digital transition to share best practices and build innovative solutions for the territories of tomorrow.
The General Commissariat for Sustainable Development (CGDD), a partner of the event, played a central role in highlighting the use of data and artificial intelligence in support of ecological transition.
AI and data in the service of ecological transition
Several panel discussions and presentations from the CGDD highlighted the issues of sustainable data and AI:
Monday, March 10, 2025
- 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Defining the conditions for frugal AI
- With Charline Meyer (Ecolab), Jean-Baptiste Crumeyrolles (Banque des Territoires), and Mathieu Vavrille (WaltR).
→ This panel highlighted the need for sober and efficient AI, limiting its environmental footprint while providing concrete solutions to the territories.
- 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Environment: What data and indicators for territories, for monitoring and managing their ecological transition?
- With Vincent Aït-Ammar (Ecolab) and Quentin Soignon (Ecolab).
→ These discussions emphasized the importance of precise and accessible indicators to help local authorities measure and adjust their actions for the climate.
- 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Territorial cooperation on data for ecological transition
- With Frédérique Bonnard Le Flo’ch (Brest Métropole), Simon Chignard (Observatoire Data Publica), Thomas COTTINET (Ecolab), Bertrand Monthubert (Ekitia), and Jérôme Tré-Hardy (Brittany Region).
→ This exchange highlighted the importance of precise and accessible indicators to help local authorities measure and adjust their actions for the climate.
- 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | Territorial AI library: presentation and case study
- With Youssef Baltagi (Aix Marseille Provence Metropolis), Matthieu Brient (The Interconnected), Diane Collier (Banque des Territoires), Dominique Marty (Sicoval), and Charline Meyer (Ecolab).
→ The AI library initiative was presented as an essential lever to provide AI-based solutions tailored to the needs of local authorities.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
- 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Building responsible AI: Can we control and frame AI?
- With Amélie Coantic, Deputy to the General Commissary for Sustainable Development, as well as Céline Colucci (The Interconnected) and Pierre Lagarde (Microsoft France).
→ These debates underscored the need to regulate AI to ensure its ethics and transparency, particularly regarding its use by local authorities.
- 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Climate change adaptation: demonstration of digital commons Adapt’Action
- Presentation of 7 digital commons to help territories adapt to climate change.
→ The presentation of seven digital commons showed how collaborative tools assist territories in adapting to climate change.
- 4:30 PM – 5:00 PM | Revelation and award ceremony for the Adapt’Action prize
- With Thomas COTTINET (Ecolab), Simon Chignard (Observatoire Data Publica), Hélène Costa de Beauregard (Ecolab), Marlène Constantin – le Dieu de Ville (Community of communes of Lacq-Orthez), and Manu Reynaud (City and Metropolis of Montpellier).
Focus on the Adapt’Action initiative
The Forum was an opportunity to present the Adapt’Action initiative, a support program for local authorities and businesses to better understand and use data in the context of ecological transition. Carried by the Ecolab of the CGDD and the General Directorate of Energy and Climate, Adapt’Action is based on three main axes:
- Inventory of digital tools to assist in developing adaptation strategies.
- A training program via thematic webinars on climate adaptation.
- The development of digital commons, notably the creation of services to help local authorities analyze and reduce their vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.
This initiative was materialized throughout the Forum through enriching exchanges, demonstrations of tools, and presentations of innovative projects.
The presentation of the Adapt’Action prizes highlighted two promising solutions committed to the resilience of territories facing climate challenges:
CONGRATULATIONS to the entire team of Fertile Territories, who won the jury’s favorite prize! A huge thank you to our three jurors, Marlène Constantin – le Dieu de Ville, Manu Reynaud, and Simon Chignard, for their expertise and commitment. The public’s favorite prize was awarded to the project Adapt’Heatwaves, led by RésO Villes – City Policy Resource Center Brittany – Pays de la Loire. BRAVO to them for their essential work on characterizing the vulnerability of populations to heatwaves!
A positive assessment and promising prospects
The Forum of Interconnected 2025 confirmed the importance of territorial cooperation and digital innovation to support local authorities in their ecological transition. The CGDD reaffirmed its commitment to responsible AI and the mobilization of environmental data, particularly through the platform ecologie.data.gouv.fr, which centralizes nearly 30,000 data sets to help territories manage their transition.
The event thus laid the groundwork for new cooperations and gave a decisive boost to concrete projects, aimed at creating more sustainable and intelligent territories.
See you in 2026 for a new edition that is even more ambitious and engaged!