3rd Innovation Challenge - Biodiversity

Dijon Métropole is launching an open innovation programme to realise its ambitions in terms of safeguarding and developing biodiversity in the area.
The prize: a unique testing ground and €25,000 in prize money. If you missed the opening webinar, Cap Digital and Dijon Métropole invite you to discover this open innovation programme to model the biodiversity in Dijon here (in French).
The context of this challenge
As part of the European RESPONSE project, the partners are developing a sustainable and intelligent city demonstrator in Dijon (France) and Turku (Finland). This innovative approach has already transformed the Fontaine d’Ouche district into a positive-energy district.
Join the adventure by joining Open2Horizon: the RESPONSE project’s innovation challenge, which offers you the opportunity to work with Dijon Métropole’s teams to develop new services for cities in transition.
Through this open innovation programme, the Dijon area becomes a real ‘testing ground’ for techno solutions (start-ups and SMEs) that can then be deployed on a large scale.
Biodiversity, a key issue for Dijon Métropole
Dijon Métropole has decided to include the issue of biodiversity in the update of its Climate Plan. In addition, via the Dijon Natural History Museum, Dijon Métropole has access to observation data from field surveys and naturalist data from natural heritage collections. Targeted inventory campaigns have been carried out in the area in recent years by experts and the general public, with the aim of gaining precise knowledge of local biodiversity conservation issues. In spring 2024, an urban nature study (“Nature en ville”) has been started to characterise the habitats in over 60 representative sites on the Dijon territory. Delivery is scheduled for December 2024.
The Climate Plan has two main ‘biodiversity’ objectives:
- To adapt the management and development of areas accordingly.
- To share this knowledge widely in order to raise public awareness of the issues.
It has been decided by the City Council of Dijon métropole to integrate the biodiversity challenge in the Climate Plan update and the climate objectives of Dijon. To this end, a Dijon métropole Climate and Biodiversity Observatory is currently under consideration. Dijon métropole now requires a tool to manage the biodiversity actions and indicators in line with its Climate Plan and to complement a toolkit already under development in the RESPONSE project which covers other Climate Plan indicators.
The challenge is open to all companies wishing to innovate for the energy and climate transition in European cities:
How can we monitor biodiversity on an area-wide scale to meet the strategic objectives of the territorial climate, air and energy plan, which includes a biodiversity component and covers all nature-based solutions?
The aim of the challenge
The aim of this challenge is to build a tool for monitoring the biodiversity actions and indicators, in line with the Group’s climate strategy and in addition to the toolbox already being developed for other Climate Plan indicators.
The tool developed as part of this challenge should make it possible to:
- Make the best use of the raw data derived from existing and future biodiversity studies;
- “Tell the story” of biodiversity in Dijon métropole’s territory for a variety of audiences: political decision-makers, private players involved in the Climate Plan, city servants and the general public;
- Report on the evolution of biodiversity in the city and of the impact of actions to protect biodiversity on the basis of historical data provided by the Natural History Museum;
- Support Dijon métropole in monitoring the biodiversity objectives of the Climate Plan, in order to help with reporting and taking actions.
- Develop indicators that summarise the raw data and are compatible with relevant regional and national indicators;
- Define impact indicators on the effects of actions performed by local stakeholders to protect the area’s biodiversity;
- Document the methodology used to calculate the above indicators.
Dijon métropole is actively involved in all stages of the programme. Agents are participating and offering SMEs and start-ups the opportunity to test their solutions in the field.
What are the benefits for the winner?
In addition, the winning company will benefit from:
- access to exclusive data sets
- a €25,000 prize
- communication about the programme
Schedule
- 09/09/2024 : Open applications
- 16/09/2024: Webinar*
- 25/10/2024: Deadline for applications
- 6/12/2024: Pitch day & Jury selection
- 07/2025: Reward day
*If you missed the opening webinar, you can watch it here (in French).
Should you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us at openinnovation@capdigital.com.