The operation consists in the construction, at the heart of the maritime and port campus of Le Havre in France, of a building to allow the emergence of an ecosystem favourable to the development of innovation, entrepreneurship and the digital economy.

The digital City contributes material and intangible means for the to development of the diversity of the digital stakeholders: dedicated, outfitted spaces, a digital canteen (coworking Coworking Type of organisation of work comprising two notions: a shared work space and a network of workers (community) encouraging exchanges and opening. Coworking spaces are considered third places. spaces reserved for web and digital technology professionals), a training structure that favours new digital skills, a fab lab and an accommodation offer tailored to the development of the firms:

• An incubator for project leaders/business founders;
• A business/start-up incubator (hosting/personalised support/services);
• A business hotel for developing companies.

The local authority of the Le Havre agglomeration (CODAH) is owner of the execution of the Digital Cité project and co-finances the building for 9.53 million euros out of a total budget of 24 million euros. Benefits and return on investment comprise rents collected and new jobs generated.

https://www.codah.fr/actualite/em-normandie-et-la-cite-numerique-arriveront-en-2019

Lessons learnt

• Local authorities can co-finance a place to host the digital economy.
• When they do not possess the financial resources, it is to their advantage to drive real estate dynamics to create places (incubators Incubators Support structure for business creation projects. Provide know-how, a network and logistics during the first stages of the life of the company. Incubators address companies that are very young or in the course of being incorporated.
  Incubators stand out by the services they propose, whether or not they are profitable or by the type of projects they target.
  Since the mid 2000s, “second generation incubators” have appeared known as accelerators, offering aid for the creation of a firm in exchange for shares in the new company.
  or accelerators) and take part in governance and promotion.