Concept of Territorial intelligence

Territorial intelligence is an emerging concept highly polysemous. This article does not give a comprehensive definition and consensus. Our subject is to take stock of the evolution of our concept of territorial intelligence at the end of the Coordination Action European Network of Territorial Intelligence (caENTI) to present a definition that supports ambition, the research directions and activities of the European Network Territorial Intelligence (ENTI). Our goal is to position the territorial intelligence as an alternative to development models based on economic efficiency in the short term or the central policy authority.

The caENTI (Coordination Action of the European Network of Territorial Intelligence) has progressively defined territorial intelligence as the science having for object the sustainable development of territories and having for subject territorial community.

• It puts in relation multidisciplinary knowledge on territories and their dynamics
• It strengthens territorial communities abilities to take part in their development in a fair and sustainable way
• It improves territorial information sharing and spreads its analysis methods and tools thanks to Information and Communication Technologies
• It promotes governance, decision making processes and practices valuing participation and partnership and research-action that contribute to fair and sustainable development of the territorial community

The integration of research teams and territorial actors to provide a European dimension to the tools of territorial intelligence questions the use of tools, methodologies, research procedures, data sets as well as the practices of participation, partnership and a global approach. What is the updated state-of-the-art in this field that requires a multi-disciplinary approach of territorial knowledge, territorial governance and territorial engineering?