In the present political/economic context, the territories on the fringes of the region Ile de France are calling for local actors who are ready to innovate in a new ‘bottom up’ partnership.
In autumn 2010, a group of inhabitants from the area known as ‘Brie’ started a regional innovation tool relying heavily, but not exclusively, on the digital world.
“Brie’nov” is founded on both a vision of the future, a solidarity between human networks & upon a fast reacting pragmatism. Its action is legitimated through a wish to reply to local needs expressed & validated via its members.
We have taken as a starting point the idea of creating resource centres in the broadest sense of the term (human, technical, economic) which are both generalist & specialist at the same time. Each centre is specialised in a given domain, but shares its skill/knowledge-base with the others. It also offers services managed by other entities in the network.
Generalist it offers ‘living together’, specialist it offers skills/knowledge – both founded on experience.

The governing of this body through a networking of these spaces, accompanied by a strong dynamic in terms of social innovation & the use of digital media open perspectives for each actor & each space.
After several months of networking, we are already capable of naming our first resource centres which are of different natures:

The most symbolic of them is the creation of a network of new places –Nomade Office project– which biases are
– Cooperative exploitation (flexible governance, democratic, egalitarian…)
– Short chain and resources for building (wood, hemp…)
– Places to promote many ways of using them, through the organization of space and usages that are practiced (remote working, co-working, training, education…)
– Accessibility site services (including utilities, healthcare, business creation, public services…)
Then, you find the Tourist Information Office in La Ferté Gaucher, 4 stations lend for experimentation with our national partner, SNCF (national railway organisation), a public access point in Trilport, a public internet & e-learning space in Doue, and we have strong links with other places put our disposal by our partners. All of these spaces are open to members of Brie’nov.
Moreover, all these initiatives, & that is part of our innovative nature, create collaboration between public & private actors.
In order to capture the most dynamic social needs, the members of Brie’nov have started several innovative ‘building sites’ stimulating debate & a start to new local initiatives.

Learning & e-learning

The initial work is oriented towards the setting up of training programs together with traditional providers in the framework of an innovative approach founded on an individual’s cursus, on his/her life-project with support mixing physical presence with online work. One of the projects is based on the notion of reinsertion directly into a digital society for people who have dropped out of the school/university system or the world of work based on experience that has proved itself.
e-working

Brie’nov is working on the networking of various e-activity centres for whom e-working could be the core activity. The first spaces have been chosen, the functions defined, the budgets calculated, the financial make-up sketched out. Training for animators for these spaces is being studied.
Network of efficient health access, notably for permanent diseases such as diabetes

This difficult project is starting from a few simple, strong but complex ideas that are hard to put into practice: Regional planning, redefinition of providers & services, new health-related services… We have gathered strong competencies in order to innovate and promote new ways of access to expertise and everyday advices. Thus, Pierre Simon (national expert in e-health), the Revesdiab network (which gather specialists, generalists, nurses…) have joined Brie’Nov on a project named Diabete 2.0.
Knowledge Tourism

Tourism is one of the areas of innovation that preceded the setting up of Brie’nov. We are taking support from the network ‘Tourism in Brie’ which has already developed innovative activities in terms of human & technical networks. The idea is now to extend this network, both in terms of territory, in terms of it’s expertise (for example, regional design) & in terms of it’s members (to grow from 70 to 130). the other aspect of this project is to develop a form of tourism that uses the digital not only as an instrument for development but also as an ecosystem, or at least as a new part of the existing ecosystem. – a supercharged local reality.

Living Lab

Too young to have asked as yet for a Living lab’ label from Europe, Brie’nov was nevertheless thought-up based on that model, in particular on the idea of a Local Learning Living Lab’ (4L).

Culture – (digital & heritage-based in the broadest sense)

Our approach is to promote digital culture in areas and with people who are deprived of access. This very important part of the project, has not yet really been launched. However, we have led several experiences, 12X12X12X12 and Mur de Brie which are joined efforts made by professionals and amateurs photographs. We also collaborate with a collectif of land’art artists, Des artistes en campagne, and have participated several times at their local festivals.

Friday in Brie (VendreBrie)

Once a month, Brie’nov invites inhabitants of the area to share an aperitif or meal. It’s a moment to share ideas and thoughts on our region & on various themes, but especially the idea is to galvanize people into action for this idea of innovative co-creation.

Synthesis

Genesis
• A series of financial, economic, environmental, social and cultural upheavals…
• A group of people and structures who have decided to come together to collectively find solutions to meet local and rural needs
• Brie’Nov was created to unite these energies!
Labeled Living Lab in june 2012

Objectives
• B’N is an ecosystem of territorial and social innovation, both civic and digital
• It is a melting pot that brings together various stakeholders (important place of the user)
• The living lab label encourages research, development and collaboration
• The challenge of digital as an opportunity for opening up and re-socializing!
Philosophy
• B’N networks the local resources to provide development actions identified as priorities: P.P.P.P
• These actions respond to the needs expressed / identified;
• They also differ according to the territories and the actors who are innovating!

Some work in progress

Le Relais des Possibles
Places connected to the territories in order to work, to share, to accommodate those services who have left the proximity – new cafes shop where one combines digital, economic and social issues!

Telecommuting and coworking

Digital culture
Photo exhibition using digital means for rural spaces : expo12.fr
« Memory in the pocket » to Savins
Doue XXII: an intergenerational work on the development of local life …
Mur de Brie : a new exhibition in rural areas ()

Health and e-health
• A process of reflection with rural mayors (local and national). An alternative to nursing homes, the development of local ressources (Pierre Simon, renowned specialist)
• Broader thinking related to health prevention (with big companies Apivia, AG2R La Mondiale)
• Collaboration with Revesdiab, a county network gathering doctors, specialists, nurses dealing with diabetes pathology

Sustainable tourism
• An innovative collaboration with the tourism network « Tourisme en Brie »
• National project: « la Brie, a holiday destination favoured by the Paris senior», an action of territorial design!

Digital enhancement of heritage and know-how

Technology
• Tools of communication and co-working in permanent test in Brie’Nov:
-Teamlab
– Big Blue Button
– Various heuristic maps
– Data Brie’Nov…
• System under development for the use of telecentre (management, booking, customer care…)
Research, innovation and development
• Engaging research organizations and innovation to follow B’N, including assessing :
• Positive externalities and new forms of work (a Collaboration with Y. L’Horty)
• Malmöe university, Périphéria project
• A collaboration with Barcelona Citilab

Local life and integration
Plus belle la Brie: a workshop of fun writing with a community (founded by the Ile de France Region)
School observatory: device of territorial intelligence to curb dropout (with MSHE Besançon, IFIS – UPE MLV)
Telepresence by Visio means in the European framework program Périphéria Malmö, valuing people through the exchange of their labor and expertise ..

Garden of Knowledge, a project with the Fondation de France and the World AG2R, support for seniors in four districts of the Seine et Marne