There are very many exciting and inspiring examples of how digital tech contributes to the ecology and energy transition (EET). But we should not allow ourselves to be led into the temptation of irresponsible progress which might exacerbate the problem and leave us in a worse state than the initial evil…
We strongly believe that these two major transformations in our society are irreversibly bound together and that, rather than seeking to disrupt the ecology transition with digital, it is our duty to implement a responsible digital transition.
The idea, then, is not to pit the digital transition and the ecology transition against one another, but instead, on the one hand to mobilise all the potential of digital tech in favour of the ecology transition, and on the other hand to adopt responsible behaviour to curb the environmental impact of our digital solutions both in our Group and aimed at our stakeholders.
Digital transition as an accelerator of EET.
The countless opportunities afforded by digital tech are the cornerstones to creating smart cities, implementing the mobility of the future, converting bioresources into energy and designing and operating structures, buildings and infrastructure differently and sustainably.
The huge quantities of data collected from connected devices or through open data, together with the contribution of artificial intelligence help us to gain better knowledge of the behaviour and uses of the structures and buildings that we design and operate. methods such as virtual reality, augmented reality and community platforms allow us to design and execute our projects in full alignment with our stakeholders by including them in an immersive design process, as we are doing for instance with the Grand Paris Express metro, the Doha metro and the A10 motorway widening project near Orleans, France.
Digital solutions also act as a catalyst in the development of alternative design modes. In association with Autodesk, we have started up two generative design experiments, one applied to acoustic walls and the other to biomimetic design of ecological reefs.
Digital tools facilitate structural and building monitoring and enable predictive maintenance of the assets of road, railway, airport, hydraulic and any other type of infrastructure, to manage and it more responsibly. Among other applications, we have worked with Poste Immo and Caisse des Dépôts to develop SOBRE-IT, a platform designed to support real estate professionals in how they control their energy use. And thanks to “DHARMA” (Dam Health And Rehabilitation Monitoring Application), we are today coordinating the assets of 5,500 dams in India.
Digital technology in mode 4.0 contributes to the growth of the circular economy. This is the case with the Cycle Up platform, founded in 2018 by Egis with the company Icade, which offers a range of services and access to a community of partners for the reuse of construction materials, generating savings in both costs and carbon emissions.
And in our everyday lives, digital tools contribute to reducing travel-related carbon emissions by allowing people to work from home.
