[Submitted by Huawei] Currently, 50% of the world's population lives in cities. And according to a UN report, this figure will reach 70% by 2050; the planet will then count about forty cities of more than 10 million inhabitants. We therefore understand the need to rethink the management of urban areas and the construction of more sustainable, smarter cities.

Asian megacities like Hong Kong or Singapore are pioneers in this area. But France is not left out, including a whole ecosystem of start-ups that innovate in the field of Smart Cities. And it is precisely this ecosystem that Huawei puts this year in the spotlight.

Smart City, innovation at the corner of the street

Through its Digital InPulse program supported in 5 cities - Paris, Lille, Bordeaux, Lyon and Nice - the Chinese telecommunications giant has launched a call for projects to start-ups working in IoT solutions (the Internet of Things) in the service of the Smart City. Intelligent car parks, optimization of transport flows, personal safety, reduction of energy consumption, micro-mobility management, air quality measurements ..., problems related to the city of the future are not lacking and Huawei decided to promote French start-ups that offer innovative solutions. Evidence for a group that claims innovation as one of its founding pillars, Huawei announcing including investments of about 15 billion euros each year in R & D, and having 5 R & D centers in France.

First prizes in French Tech

In Nice, one of the 5 French stages, OnTrack and Wever were chosen by a jury made up of entrepreneurs, experts and representatives of public authorities. OnTrack offers a connected watch dedicated to the outdoor sportsmen, who wish to be able to walk anywhere, without having to stop to consult a card or the screen of their smartphone. Wever is a mobility management platform: rather than thinking from existing means of transport, Wever relies on the behavior patterns of targeted users to propose a more efficient mobility plan.

In Paris, HD Rain and Ubudu were awarded. HD Rain performs precipitation forecasts and measurements at very high definition, for structures needing to anticipate weather risks. Ubudu offers ultra-precise geolocation solutions: within a Smart City, this tool would improve the customer journey and analyze flows of users or vehicles.

Preserve resources, improve organization, optimize costs ... and work for the well-being of its inhabitants: French start-ups are at work today to offer a better horizon to the cities of tomorrow.

Digital InPulse is a program organized since 2014 by Huawei in partnership with Business France, the Richelieu Committee and French Tech to highlight the excellence of French start-ups.

After the new mobilities sector in 2018, this is the Smart City theme that is being discussed this year. 10 winners are promoted with, in key, endowments in euros and a business trip in China: discussions with technological experts Huawei, meetings with local investors .... The winning start-ups will be able to discover the digital ecosystem Chinese and meet local accelerators and incubators.

Last year, Huawei also launched the "Club Alumni", an exchange and sharing network open to all former Digital InPulse winners.