There are two main areas of transformation for Alpine resorts and valleys: the ecological transition and the evolution of tourism. Mountain resorts are the driving force behind the tourist activity that is essential to the economic balance of our territories due to the importance of the direct, indirect and induced income and employment that they generate. Faced with the challenges posed by global warming, the objectives of energy sobriety, good management of water resources, reduction of GHG emissions and, more generally, taking into account all the fields of the ecological transition, constitute a necessity now recognized by all. The evolution of tourism models, particularly in a vision of expanding the season wings and an approach of the mountain for all, all seasons, represents the second component of the mountain of tomorrow.

Mountain for tomorrow: territorial intelligence

At the same time, intelligent low-tech LPWAN technologies, based on IoT networks with very low energy consumption, long range, and low environmental impact, appear to be particularly well adapted to mountain territories. The processing and exploitation of field data by supervision platforms offers local communities (valley areas, agglomerations) the ability to manage and control resources and uses in crucial fields of their ecological transition: energy, water, mobility, and waste. Using international standards and Open Source developments, supported by European research and innovation suppor programs (Horizon Europe), their ability to interconnect platforms and share data at different scales (local, regional, Alpine space) contributes to the dissemination of relevant information to the various categories of stakeholders and their involvement in the process (local authorities, environmental policy makers, infrastructure and service operators, resident and tourist populations).