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Calgary, AB launches Wave Tech Centre to boost innovation across city departments
Calgary has launched a new Wave Tech Centre aimed at fostering innovation within city departments by leveraging technology and collaboration. The center will serve as a hub for developing and implementing digital solutions to improve municipal services and operations. This initiative is part of the city's broader strategy to enhance efficiency and meet the evolving needs of its residents.
Calgary, AB
Canada
Irvine, CA plans innovation lab for startups
The Innovation Lab will be owned by the city, but Irvine will lease the space to the Innovation Council. The council, founded in late 2021, aims to attract, retain and support high-growth technology businesses to “help position Irvine as a regional hub for innovation and technology,” city officials said at the time of its launch.
Irvine, CA
United States
Hamburg, HH eases awarding of contracts for innovative products and services
An experimental clause introduced in early 2024 for contracts worth up to EUR 100,000 allows the City of Hamburg to invite only one company to submit a tender. The city's GovTecHH unit must be involved and the contract must include the use of new technologies to update and digitalise local government and to test new technologies faster.
Hamburg, HH
Germany
Murray, WA prepares for the future of food with the Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia
The facility features an Innovation Centre, Research & Development Centre, and a Food & Beverage Production Centre. An Enterprise Support Program offers grants of up to AUD 600,000 for food and agricultural innovation projects. The X-Protein Lab supports alternative protein development partnerships between regional and Singapore startups. Industry events and a trio of anchor research partners provide additional collaboration opportunities.
Murray, WA
Australia
Detroit, MI establishes innovation zone and permitting process for transportation pilots
Detroit centered the transportation innovation district on the renovated Michigan Central station. Innovators and businesses in the district are eligible for expedited permitting for transit technology trials. The application asks for information about pilot length, location, metrics, and safety. The city's Office of Mobility Innovation works with other departments on path-to-permit strategies for solving issues identified during application reviews.
Detroit, MI
United States
Washington, DC Mobility Innovation District brings tech-driven transit solutions to Southwest
A $3 million grant from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development will fund pilots of sustainable transit solutions. The first MID pilot is an on-demand electric shuttle service operated by Circuit. The Southwest Business Improvement District (SWBID) published a Request for Proposals for a Universal Basic Mobility stipend program and EV charging infrastructure. District officials and SWBID hope that the MID fosters homegrown solutions for mobility challenges.
Washington, DC
United States
Jyväskylä, FI demonstrates digital identity possibilities with pilot in Kangas Smart City district
Nixu's Identity and Access Management product and IOXIO's Dataspace service were combined for the pilot. This system connected pilot zone resident identities to smart house keys. Participants verified their sign-in credentials for a service portal using their keys. Programmed keys also provided access to parking garages and other facilities. Project partners identified additional use cases for identity interoperability including home care and recreational services.
Jyväskylä, FI
Finland
Melbourne, VIC integrates data and technology into Fishermans Bend renewal with innovation challenge
The challenge sought smart and sustainable ideas for the precinct's redevelopment. Innovators with concepts in need of further development applied for the Ideas track. The Pilot track was available to project leaders with services or technologies ready for real-world testing with the council. Three finalists in each track pitch their projects to a panel of expert judges. The Ideas track winner will be selected by the judges, while an online vote will help determine the Pilot track winner.
Melbourne, VIC
Australia
Mississauga, ON boosts local business innovation and growth with IDEA Mississauga initiative
IDEA Mississauga consolidates public and private resources for area startups and scale-ups. The Virtual Innovation Hub includes an Innovation Asset Map with 135 public and private services for local businesses. Additional features include training webinars, expert contacts, and a service concierge tool. City officials also approved a 4,300 square-foot Entrepreneur and Innovation Hub with connected workspaces and programs led by the Mississauga Business Entrepreneur Centre.
Mississauga, ON
Canada
Mühlhausen/Thüringen, TH earns Smart Cities Model Project distinction for smart district pilots
Mühlhausen was named one of 28 Smart Cities Model Projects by the federal government. Local officials will start by engaging residents in smart city strategy development. Policy and technology pilots will take place in three distinct areas of the city including the centuries-old city center, a housing estate, and the Bollstedt rural district. These experiments determine how solutions work in distinct urban environments and fit into the adopted strategy.
Mühlhausen/Thüringen, TH
Germany
Potsdam, BB achieves Smart Cities Model Project status with multi-faceted innovation proposal
A planned LoRaWAN network enables connected technology adoption throughout Potsdam. Municipal leaders seed innovation projects to solve urban policy issues at the Potsdam Lab. The Schlaatz district acts as a testbed for early-stage projects. New technologies and ideas would spread from Berlin to rural communities via the Regio Hub. This plan placed Potsdam among 28 local governments selected for the federal government's third round of smart city models.
Potsdam, BB
Germany
München Stadt, BY works with startups on smart city solutions through Urban Colab
City officials developed the 11,000 square meter facility with project partner Unternehmer. Startups and city innovation teams are housed in the same building to solve challenges facing the public. On-site facilities like the MakerSpace workshop encourage tenants to work with each other on smart city innovations. Unternehmer connects emerging businesses with investors, experts, and partners like BMW and SAP.
München Stadt, BY
Germany