I studied engineering which led me to computing, first as project leader then as security manager. I started out in industry before moving to Arte in 2002, at a time when the digital transformation was really getting underway. It was an exciting time because digital technologies were shaking up the media sector and creating plenty of projects through programme digitisation, new uses for viewers, etc. Arte was the first public TV channel to launch Replay in February 2006. It hasn’t always been easy because there were some misgivings internally, but we were backed by the CEO, Jérôme Clément, who realised that the digital transformation was indispensable.
Following the change in governance at Arte in 2014, I moved to Ingerop, a construction engineering and consulting firm. We’re experts in the areas of construction, cities, transportation (urban, road, high-speed trains, etc.), energy (energy transition, etc.), the environment and water. Some of the major projects we’ve worked on are the Canopée in Paris, the Lima subway, the Grenoble tramway… and the Grand Paris Express.
What role do digital technologies play in all this?
They’re everywhere. Digital aspects have to be taken into account in everything we do. All of our businesses are affected by the new uses, new tools, and the smart city which involves IoT. So, for buildings and construction in general, we always use 3D digital mock-ups, whereas we used to work only with 2D blueprints before. Studies used to be organised by job. But now, everyone works on the same mock-up. We can work faster and reduce design and creation times while increasing quality and cutting costs. This is called Building Information Modelling (BIM). But this change also raises questions regarding data organisation and management. We need to rethink our processes and working methods inside our teams as well as in our ecosystem (clients, partners, etc.).
What do you expect from ROOMn?
I come to meet my colleagues and discuss with them. Technology is at the heart of our strategy. We need to stay up to date on innovations, understand their impacts and see how we can include them in our road maps. ROOMn is an opportunity to meet major digital players who present new uses and innovations, and to attend conferences on somewhat unusual topics that help us get a broader outlook. I want to be surprised and get an overall view of the sector.
At ROOMn 2017, Robert Eusèbe will lead a round table on BIM at 5:00PM on Wednesday 8 March.
