Annual Report 2018

A myriad of great solutions

“Smarter Together” is a smart city project subsidised by the EU under the Horizon 2020 programme. 2018 marked the third year of this project. Numerous measures have been implemented, and the project has become Vienna’s international smart city lighthouse activity.

More than 109 workshops and neighbourhood walks, multiple local and international conferences as well as far in excess of 10,000 directly contacted citizens bear witness to the
dynamism of this project.

Kathrin Gaál

“Smarter Together has evolved into Vienna’s top smart city-inspired urban renewal initiative by offering a myriad of great solutions and innovations for a liveable, eco-friendly and socially sustainable city of the future. I think that Smarter Together is so forward-looking because it connects people, involves the economy, emphasises partnership-based co-
operation of all actors and even enhances the attractiveness of Vienna as an international location”, in the words of the patron of the initiative, City Councillor Kathrin Gaál.

Innovations for the future

The e-car sharing system for the Hauffgasse estate of the BWSG housing association has met with international interest. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, it also contributes to good-neighbourly communication.

In September 2018, the “WienMobil” station, which bundles several mobility options, was inaugurated in Simmeringer Platz in co-operation with the public transport provider Wiener Linien. It offers a full range from e-bike or car sharing to bike boxes, a charging station, an e-cargo bike and an information screen.

A network of excellence

Many international partners were inspired by Vienna’s ideas, while other innovative solutions implemented here were the outcome of European exchange – all in keeping
with the motto “Smarter Together in Europe”. This has resulted in numerous additional activities.

Following a dialogue process with employees, the six electric forklifts at the Siemens Leberstrasse plant were complemented by e-charging stations for small appliances, a “bulk
store” for small components and even two electric lifting trucks for semi-finished carriages, which all contribute significantly to improving both competitiveness and energy balance.

“Beat the Street”, a mobility game that motivates participants to collectively walk thousands of kilometres in the neighbourhood, was a favourite of kids already in 2017. In 2018, thousands of youngsters and their parents again walked and jogged for shared success. This year, the 22nd municipal district Donaustadt joined in as well: after all, a smart city also means healthy and happy kids!

Venice was inspired by Vienna’s “SIMmobil”, a mobile information and participation vehicle, which stopped at numerous neighbourhood events and was used by many local institutions including Science Pool, the Vienna Employment Promotion Fund (waff) or the youth workers of Balu&Du. In Venice-Mestre, an old bus was repainted and repurposed for a similar activity. Sofia (BG) showed interest in integrated mobility solutions, and Santiago de Compostela (E) inquired about energy solutions and efforts to involve tenants.

Joint research activities for kids

Science Pool in Hauffgasse is one of the most important mediators of scientific knowledge in the district. With the support of Smarter Together, the association organised workshops at numerous primary schools. These workshops are designed to stimulate the understanding of future-related issues as well as eco-active behaviour patterns among young children. The idea is to influence behaviour patterns regarding the environment today, not just later, when kids
are older. In September, Smarter Together provided the library of VHS Simmering (a community education centre) with a high-quality touch screen computer that can be freely
used during opening hours.

Smart housing refurbishment

Drawing on subsidies, the BWSG housing estate and two municipal housing complexes are being refurbished in exemplary fashion using the latest technologies. The double middle school in Enkplatz 4 will be given four zero-energy gyms heated by geothermal and solar energy. All construction work had already progressed visibly in 2018. On this basis, Smarter Together joined forces with the eco-counselling organisation DIE UMWELTBERATUNG to organise “energy-saving cafés”. These events help tenants to improve their behaviour regarding energy use.

smartdata.wien

To measure outcomes, an open-source data platform was set up and connected to the web. This FIWARE data platform compiles all data measured; the findings will be evaluated by the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) until 2021. Principally, the data platform can be used free of charge by all units of the City of Vienna.

Research co-operation with students

For the second academic year in a row, Smarter Together co-operated with “Sustainability Challenge”, a lecture series involving students of all four big universities of Vienna. 2017/2018 saw the implementation of a study on façade greening.

Approx. 6,000 participants were recorded at the “ICT Challenge” in December 2018. At this hackathon, ICT talent from all of Europe developed new apps over a 48-hour period on the
basis of the smartdata.wien database – a resounding success.

For more information, consult www.smartertogether.at, our newsletter and the social media.

See also the Annual Report of the Housing department here.