Publish at April 28 2019 Updated November 19 2025
In Europe's two political capitals, most people speak French. Inherited from history and geography, these two cities share architectural beauty, gastronomic quality, a certain art de vivre and a remarkable artistic and cultural heritage. Both cities vie for political leadership. They are permanent hosts to European parliamentarians and delegations from all over the world, who come to share a little of the European wisdom that has pacified a large part of the European continent for the longest period in its history (almost 75 years). Both cities are creative, rich and complex ecosystems, open to the world. These two capitals are playing their part as locomotives in bringing Europe into the knowledge economy. Both, in their own way, are intelligent, learning cities. The development of smart cities follows different patterns.
With City fab 1, City fab 2 and City fab 3, a whole complex of local industrialization is taking shape. City-supported fab labs are organized as a continuum. City fab 1 is the first step towards micro-industrialization in the metropolis. It is designed to raise awareness of basic digital techniques, with an introduction to local digital manufacturing, including 3D printing, milling, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, hot-pressing and woodworking.
City fab2 takes prototyping a step further, while City fab3 develops pre-production runs, the final stage before industrialization. While the complex formed by City fab 1, 2 and 3 responds to a number of challenges, it is complemented by other innovative initiatives such as Molengeek, a veritable incubator for digital entrepreneurs, or Brussels. Bruxelles Formation, which focuses on training young people in industrial trades and retraining jobseekers. No one is left behind. Digital technology appears to be a major outlet.
A network of schools providing training for the children of European civil servants also completes the package. This further enhances the city's language skills and openness. In addition to its traditional school infrastructure, the city is able to produce a diverse mix of ideas, cultures and people.
In addition, at the heart of a dense transport network, Brussels benefits from the proximity of large, dynamic cities such as Lilles and Antwerp, which are less than an hour away, further reinforcing the city's role as a communications hub and a decision-making center for initiatives and projects.
While Brussels has inherited an industrial culture that is multilingual and open to the world, Strasbourg straddles a Germanic and French culture. It is less a frontier city than a bridge between these two cultures. Religious tolerance is cultivated here, as is the welcoming of new ideas. As in Brussels, its art schools are flourishing.
The city's administrations are powerful. In Strasbourg, France has chosen to locate the schools that train the country's administrative elite: the Ecole Nationale d'Administration and the Institut National des Etudes Territoriales. It is also the venue for the largest annual conference of territorial executives, as well as numerous events co-organized by the two schools, such as a hackaton on public policy. The Entretiens Territoriaux de Strasbourg brings together some 1,600 leaders from communes, towns and regions. In this laboratory, the paths of collaborative public innovation are exchanged and prepared.
Strasbourg is also developing its labs and creative spaces, including the Shadock, which defines itself as a digital factory. The aim is to reinvent the way society works, using the potential of digital technology. Other Labs, such as the AV Lab, are flourishing in the city.
Strasbourg hasalso long hada green orientation, and was even awarded the title of "smart city" in 2017 for its action in favor of the environment. Strasbourg is a member of French Tech and is also known as an augmented metropolis, as it relies on digital technology to promote its development. It does so in the same way as more than " 20 smart cities in France ".
The smart city movement is gaining momentum, as if states absorbed by large-scale social or security crises were overwhelmed by the energy of cities or semi-urban areas dedicated to solving many everyday problems.
These areas enjoy a close relationship with their citizens, who know how to belong to their city. While we admire the dynamism of these European capitals, let's also pay close attention to the way in which rural areas are evolving, as they are not just landscapes for city-dwellers in search of greenery, but also learning environments for a world that is becoming more respectful of nature.
Sources
Molengeek https://molengeek.com/
Shadok https://www.shadok.strasbourg.eu/
Ville Intelligente - Smart City projects in twenty French cities
https://m.villeintelligente-mag.fr/En-France-des-projets-de-Smart-City-dans-une-vingtaine-de-villes_a65.html
La frenchtech Alsace http://www.lafrenchtech-alsace.eu/index.html
7 sur 7 - The EU has enabled the longest period of peace in modern Europe
https://www.7sur7.be/7s7/fr/1505/Monde/article/detail/3188625/2017/06/21/L-UE-a-permis-la-plus-longue-periode-de-paix-de-l-Europe-moderne.dhtml
AV Lab https://m.facebook.com/AVLABsxb/?locale2=fr_FR
Alsace.com Strasbourg voted smart city 2017
https://www.alsace.com/breves/strasbourg-elue-smart-city-2017-projet-strasbourg-eco-2030/
City Fab 1 http://www.cityfab1.brussels/fr/
City Fab 2 https://www.linkedin.com/company/cityfab-2/about/
City Fab 3 https://www.facebook.com/cityfab3/?ref=page_internal
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