Our mission
Because the current times are complex, because the future has become more difficult to anticipate, and because our decoding grids and navigation instruments require constant upgrading, the mindset of René Descartes stands out as one of the most powerful tools we can use to be future ready. To do this, we need to combine two core qualities, namely (1) offer innovative ways to look at tomorrow while building on proven facts and measurable realities, and (2) doing so by constantly challenging established ways of describing the world, and offering new bridges between various areas of thoughts, culture and ways to see the world.
Our thirty years of experience in dealing with the highest levels of government and business management, and our reputation in building global indices and resourceful benchmarks in future-critical areas such as technology, innovation and talent is our strongest asset to help private and public organizations to be more future-ready.
About us
Intellectually and practically, Descartes had no borders.
René Descartes is one of the leading intellectual figures of modern times. He cannot be ‘slotted’ easily : was he a philosopher ? a mathematician ? a scientist ? Clearly, he was all of those, making headways in each of these areas. But he was much more than the addition of the three, as he built bridges between intellectual domains that had been seen as separate until Descartes came around and changed forever our vision of the world.This being said, René Descartes was not just an intellectual. He was a man of action : as a soldier, he traveled much of Europe, and also took part in reshaping his times’ geopolitics.
He was not afraid of being different, and thinking differently.
Descartes gave us a brand new way to consider, measure and navigate space (with one of his best-known creation, i.e. cartesian coordinates), but also time and logics. He offered a radically new way to look at reality : fact-based, experience-proofed and open to innovation and creativity. Those remain the fundamental roots of cartesianism.
Our most recent publications
BOOKS
Lanvin, B. (2024), The Key to Cities’ Competitiveness: Future Readiness, in Eurasianomics – Sustainable and Innovative Economic Policy Strategies in Eurasia (Eds.: Barnabás Virág & Marcell Horváth).
Lanvin, B. (2024). Prosperous and inclusive cities. IMD.
Lanvin, B. & Sultan, O. (2022). The future is young. IMD.
Bris, A., Cabolis, C., Chan. H.C. and Lanvin, B. (2021), Cities in a Time of Global Emergencies: can Smart Cities help ? IMD.
Bris, A., Cabolis, C., Chan. H.C. and Lanvin, B. (2019), Sixteen Shades of Smart: How cities can shape their own future. IMD.
MEETINGS & REPORTS
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Articles & Interviews
We need to redefine smart cities
Lanvin, B. (upcoming 2024), We need to redefine smart cities , Smart…
The future of smart cities : what it means and what it needs
Lanvin, B. (upcoming 2024), The future of smart cities : what it…
Smart Cities 2.0 : Shifting gears, or changing models ?
Lanvin, B. (upcoming 2024), Smart Cities 2.0 : Shifting gears, or changing…
Redefining International Trade, Interview of Bruno Lanvin by Eurasia Magazine
“We spoke to Bruno Lanvin, President of IMD’s Smart City Observatory* about…
For cities, being smart starts with being sustainable.
There are many ways to be smart, and there is no cookie…
The second edition of the Seoul Smart City Prize event was even better than the first!
Held from 7 to 14 October, Seoul’s Smart Life Week brought together…
Global Innovation Index 2024, Unveiling the World’s Innovation Leaders!
The Global Innovation Index 2024 (GII) provides a comprehensive analysis of innovation…
The cities of the future need to build trust!
Protecting citizens private data while stimulating innovation in cities is one of…
Miami Smart City Expo was a blast!
Giving the opening keynote in an international meeting is always a challenge…
Sustainability is a core objective of Smart Cities. To achieve it we need more imagination and more social cohesion
I was honored to receive one of the six Sustainability Awards handed…
The BBC has carried out a very interesting review of 5 of the top 10 cities of the IMD Smart City Index 2024!
IMD’s Smart City Index is based on a people-centric definition of what…
By striving to be globally competitive, cities are defining the future!
In my latest article for ‘I by IMD’, I argue that over…
By striving to be globally competitive, cities are defining the future!
In my latest article for ‘I by IMD’, I argue that over…
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