smartcity cologne. projects for a livable city.
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The „Klimastraße“ (Climate Street) in Cologne's district Nippes realizes a range of projects from optimal building insulation to power stations for electric vehicles. © KölnTourismus GmbH/Georg Wohlrab
SmartCity Cologne (SCC) is a local network and central communication channel around innovation and climate neutrality in Cologne. Anyone can join: private individuals, companies, associations, universities and initiatives. Together, intelligent ideas and pioneering technologies are developed that make Cologne even more livable. The city of Cologne, together with the local energy supplier RheinEnergie AG, launched the SmartCity Cologne initiative in 2012. SCC presents smart projects in Cologne, conntects stakeholders, offers fundings and initiates cooperations.
By taking advantage of the opportunities offered by digitization and driving innovation, the SmartCity Cologne initiative is making a significant contribution to shaping the energy and heating transition in Cologne in a sustainable manner. In collaboration with partners, SCC aims to support the city on its path to climate neutrality and initiate projects that can be emulated. Examples under the SmartCity Cologne umbrella include the EU project GrowSmarter with partners in Stockholm and Barcelona, or the ParkPilot project on the Klimastraße, which is testing digital parking management in Cologne-Nippes. With the ParkPilot project, the traffic caused through the search for parking lots in the city center can be significantly reduced through smart sensor technology, artificial intelligence and LED displays attached to lampposts.
The SmartCity Cologne conference and the associated startup pitch "Kölns KlimaStar" are held annually in cooperation with KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderungs-GmbH. This provides opportunities for networking among stakeholders and makes SmartCity activities easily accessible to citizens, stakeholders, initiators and interested parties.
Innovative projects were successfully promoted from 2019 to 2023 with funding programs such as "SmartCity Cologne GO". The aim is to activate Cologne's committed urban society and to accelerate project implementation with start-up financing. In this way, climate protection on the one hand and the development of business models and the generation of new added value on the other go hand in hand.
