Smart-City Monaco – Matrix is part of the move forward

The Government of the Principality has welcomed recently 30 students who have been invited to participate in a Matrix initiative for Smart-City Monaco under the guidance of Minister of State Serge Telle. Matrix (an Ecole 42* program) is in partnership with the Government on this important project. Xavier Niel, of Monaco Telecom, and founder of Free is giving support. Xavier Neil has launched in partnership with the Monaco the first incubator-accelerator of the Principality to build entrepreneurship and assist start-ups with their capital needs so that they can grow and flourish here.

These thirty students involved in Matrix have come from countries from all over the world – eight countries are represented.

For their first 15 days they will get to know Monaco as tourists which is the beginning of their intensive immersion in all aspects of tourism in the Principality experiencing it just as tourists do. So that at the end of the 15 days they will have a refined “customer” perspective.

This will enable them to participate effectively in the first phase of the Matrix Smart-City project which is to think about the challenges faced in creating the Smart-City of the future and, of course to focus particularly on the tourism sector which is vital to the health of the Monaco economy.

Monaco has already had successes in the Digital Marketing field, and quite early on.  In 2014, the Monaco Tourism and Convention Authority received the prestigious ICCA award for the Best Marketing Campaign. This marketing campaign was selected by a jury, and beat out “heavyweights” in the Congress sector like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. The students of the International University of Monaco  MSc in Digital Marketing had also worked hard several months making proposals to the Monaco Tourism and Convention Authority on a relevant digital strategy as part of that process.

Serge Telle emphasises that “digital is a key issue for the Principality and that the Matrix initiative for Smart-City Monaco represents a unique opportunity for the country to develop in line with the values set out by H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince, such as sustainable development. It is also a chance to position Monaco as an innovative player in the sectors which are important, including tourism. The programme aims to gradually develop a large number of digital opportunities, and to make Monaco a model nation in this field.”

Monaco already has many initiatives that reinforce each other and its image as a leader, whether it be in clean mobility, connectivity (Monaco could be the first entirely connected country) or bio-initiatives in sustainable harvesting of our food. And each in a way has its own powerful global image that involves and draws tourists into the Monaco fold. Witness the E Grand Prix and the eRallye just as examples.

It is a virtual circle that Monaco is working hard at building. Having a reputation as a leader in Smart-City evolution creates interest, attracts even more tourists, and allows for further investment. Matrix is an important part of this drive forward into a digital future with Monaco as a leader.

 * École 42 is a training programme with no lessons and no teachers. It aims to impart the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation to students, so that they will be able to come up with new and ingenious responses to the various issues that society will face in the digital era.