Anniversary Event
Cities are responsible for 75% of global resource consumption, energy use, as well as CO2 emissions.
While occupying only 3% of the planet’s territory, cities are responsible for 75% of global resource consumption, energy use, as well as CO2 emissions, thereby fueling warming. Rethinking radically new ways of living, building, and designing our cities is therefore key to respecting our planet’s limits.
Join us for an engaging event that unites diverse perspectives from Switzerland and the Bay Area, exploring the latest advancements and solutions for the cities of tomorrow.
Program
Welcome Words
- 5:30pm – Emilia Pasquier (Swissnex in San Francisco)
- 5:35pm – Frédéric Dubois (Innovaud)
Global Urban Context - 2 keynotes from Switzerland and the US
- 5:40pm – Bruno Lanvin (IMD) – Global View on Cities with Inspiring Cases from Around the World
- 5:50pm – Vishaan Chakrabarti (PAU, UC Berkeley CED) – Future of Sustainable Cities and the US Perspective (virtual keynote)
Action & Solutions - short round of elevator pitches
- 6:00pm – Intro Frederic Dreyer (EPFL/FUSTIC)
- 6:05pm – Georgios Sarantakos (Urban Twin Project, ETH/EPFL join initiative) – Gathering Data to Build Better Cities
- 6:10pm – MarLa Burgener (GreenGoWeb) – Gathering Data to Build Better Cities II
- 6:15pm – Maria Loizou & Céline Carrière (rebuiLT EPFL)
- 6:20pm – Margaux Peltier (Enerdrape) – Future of Energy in Cities
- 6:40pm – Panel Discussion
Closing
- 6:55pm – Closing word by E4S (Michael Alkin, Director)
- 7:05pm – Apéro
iCal / Outlook
Event start time
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Switzerland
5:00PM
Speakers
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Bio
Bruno Lanvin
President, Smart City Observatory at IMDBruno Lanvin has been the President of the Smart City Observatory since its creation in 2018. After a distinguished career that took him from the United Nations, the World Bank and INSEAD, he joined IMD in 2018.
He is known worldwide for his pioneering work in creating and co-leading some of the most highly praised global indices in the areas of information technology, innovation and talent. Over the last few years, he has been focusing his research on the role of cities in developing original strategies and shaping new types of global relations.
A mathematician by training (Université de Valenciennes), an MBA (HEC, Paris) and a PhD in Economics (Paris I, Panthéon-Sorbonne, he is passionate about informing international debates (inequality, inclusion, governance, collaborative innovation, talent and labour markets, impact of artificial intelligence) through the provision of quantitative tools and action-oriented metrics.
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Bio
Céline Carrière
Architect at rebuiLTCéline Carrière is a young architect in practice at SHIFT; an office focused around bio-sourced materials in architecture and straw/wood buildings. She recently also initiated a position as a studio assistant for the LIF laboratory at EPFL. Meanwhile, Céline joined rebuiLT last January with the aim to promote ecologically thoughtful projects within the student community and at the same time encourage the re-use of materials in the construction industry.
rebuiLT has today expanded to become a community of students, teachers, Ecublens representatives and citizens that work together with the goal of building a pavilion out of re-used concrete modules and functioning with low-technologies. This, with the aim to concretely test less conventional ways of construction all while sensitising the citizens and designers themselves. The pavilion is now under construction in Ecublens in the Canton of Vaud.
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Bio
Frederic Dreyer
Innovation and Ecosystem Manager at EPFL, Vice-President and Founder of FUSTICNicknamed “little genius” by the New York Times, Frédéric Dreyer is a Doctor of Science from EPFL and holds Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Environment, as well as an Executive MBA (HEC Geneva).
With a solid experience of more than 10 years in the industry, Frederic has contributed to major innovations in microtechnology.
Previous Director at Geneva State department, he was in charge of innovative projects such as the European study of feasibility of drone-taxis and autonomous on-demand shuttles for industrial areas; he also allowed Geneva State to support companies on their 4.0 transformation in an ever-changing ecosystem.
Currently in charge of Innovation and partnerships at ENAC (School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering), EPFL’s faculty, also mentor and coach for start-up and SME, accredited by Federal Innosuisse, co-founder of SwissInspect startup, specialized in predictive and prescriptive maintenance of infrastructures.
Founder of FUSTIC association, hosted at EPFL, dedicated to promote the societal and ecological transition by championing research in digital technology and sustainable cities, regions and infrastructure.
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Bio
Georgios Sarantakos
Project portfolio manager at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in LausanneGeorgios Sarantakos is a manager of multi-disciplinary projects mainly related to energy and sustainability at the EPFL. Before that, he worked for the United Nations and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as well as for the EDF Energie Renouvables. He holds a Master’s in Environmental Science and Engineering from EPFL and an eMBA in international management from the University of Geneva.
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Bio
Margaux Peltier
Co-Founder and CEO EnerdrapeMargaux Peltier is an engineer and science entrepreneur who holds an MSc. in Civil Engineering and Sustainability from EPFL Lausanne. In 2018, she joined the Laboratory of Soil Mechanics at EPFL to advance her research on integrated geo-energy systems. She co-founded in 2021 enerdrape, an EPFL-startup bringing to the market the first-available non-invasive geothermal panel technology, easing access to urban shallow geothermal resources.
Recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Margaux has been awarded multiple grants and prizes for her groundbreaking contributions to the enerdrape solution. Prior to her enerdrape venture, she gained invaluable experience through roles in engineering and architectural firms in Switzerland and Canada, as well as her active participation in various local and international projects within the realm of building energy. -
Bio
Maria Loizou
Architect at rebuiLTMaria Loizou is a newly graduated architect of EPFL with a minor in design sustainability that has focused her master thesis on housing building maintenance. By accepting what already exists she encourages society to embrace being surrounded by aesthetics based on effectiveness rather than beauty. Maria believes in the importance of collective intelligence in understanding how to maintain confort all while minimising CO2 emissions. Puzzled by the future of the construction industry and the massive pollution it generates, she grouped up with students from other disciplines to create rebuiLT in 2021.
rebuiLT has today expanded to become a community of students, teachers, Ecublens representatives and citizens that work together with the goal of building a pavilion out of re-used concrete modules and functioning with low-technologies. This, with the aim to concretely test less conventional ways of construction all while sensitising the citizens and designers themselves. The pavilion is now under construction in Ecublens in the Canton of Vaud.
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Bio
MarLa Burgener
Founder & CEO, GreenGoWebMarLa (Marie Laure) Burgener is a pioneer in applying gamification principles in the field of sustainable development. She founded GreenGoWeb in 2012 after a strong track record as Internet Executive in leading international organizations and a Sustainability Certificate from IMD, Lausanne in 2011.
She holds a Master’s Degree in Online Journalism (American University, Washington D.C., 2001), a Translation Diploma Spanish-English (AU Washington D.C., 2000), a Human Rights Certificate (Geneva University, 2009).
MarLa Burgener was trained in Multimedia at Agence France Presse, Washington D.C., and later worked as Web Project Manager and Editor at the World Economic Forum and for national Press companies in Switzerland, being the youngest female consultant in the country.
GreenGoWeb fosters innovative climate-mitigation solutions by engaging individuals, non-state and subnational actors. Performances are monitored and provide certified data that contribute to advancing the SDGs. She is now (2023) using her unique entrepreneurial expertise to advance research with a Doctorate in Business Administration in the field of soft mobility and gender-disaggregated data.
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Bio
Vishaan Chakrabarti
Founder and Creative Director, Practice for Architecture and Urbanism | PAUChakrabarti is the Founder and Creative Director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism
PAU, where he leads the firm’s portfolio of cultural and institutional buildings, public infrastructure, and social housing.His decades of architectural experience include roles as principals at SOM and SHoP, Manhattan planning director in the years following 9/11, the president of Moynihan Station Venture and the Dean of the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley.
He and his team are designing a replacement for New York’s Pennsylvania Station to be implemented by 2030, a nationwide sustainable prototype for the FAAFAA’s next generation of air traffic control towers, the expansion of Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Princeton’s Hobson College, and the soon to be complete conversion of the Domino Sugar Factory.
Chakrabarti is the author of A Country of Cities: A Manifesto for an Urban America (Me tropolis Books, 2013), and the forthcoming The Architecture of Urbanity: Designing Cities for Pluralism and Planet ( Princeton University Press).
20th Anniversary of Swissnex in San Francisco
Metropolis: Sustainable Futures Under Construction
Swissnex in San Francisco is turning 20 years old in 2023 and is marking the occasion with several events in Switzerland and San Francisco around the topic of the future of cities. Metropolis: Sustainable Futures under Construction is launching this Fall with three events in Switzerland and several events in San Francisco.
Related Events
Partners
This event is a collaboration with Future Sustainable Territories, Infrastructure and Cities (FUSTIC), an initiative of EPFL and its faculty ENAC (School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering), Enterprise for Society Center (E4S) and kühne wicki Future Stuff.
Supporters
The event is supported by the École cantonale d’art de Lausanne (ECAL), Future City Alliance, and Innovation Booster Swiss Smart City.