Descartes Développement & Innovation (DDI) is the information and promotion association of the Sustainable City Cluster at the heart of Cité Descartes, located in the East of the Paris Region, a rapidly growing innovation area in France. DDI also operates a fablab and an incubator as part of its scope of operations.

A Sustainable City refers to a model city or urban unit that respects sustainable development principles and ecological urban planning. It is broad in definition and simultaneously takes into account the social, economic, environmental and cultural challenges of urban planning for, and with, the inhabitants of the region.

Within Paris-Vallée de la Marne territory, DDI facilitates serendipitous connections between academia, institutions and businesses with a state-of-the-art research ecosystem in the establishment of a Sustainable City.

In addition, DDI has established partnerships with corporates to create collaborations that promote seamless networking, experimentation and open innovation.