DLR consortium led by DLR-PT wins contract for "Smart Cities”
15th July 2021 — It's about housing, climate change, sustainability, digitalisation and more. If cities and municipalities want to remain liveable in the future, they must meet numerous demands. How will we live in the communities of the future? How will we shape our lives in them? And what changes will digitalisation bring? These are the questions addressed by the BMI's MPSC programme. The aim is to develop a comprehensive blueprint for sustainable, resilient, inclusive, competitive and liveable cities and municipalities, supported by the commitment of municipal stakeholders and citizens.
Cities and municipalities are to develop their "smart" competences by improving methodological skills in planning control and implementation processes, for example through structured knowledge transfer and shared data platforms. However, communities cannot embark on the path to their smart future without the active participation of their residents. Here, openness, dialogue and involvement are essential building blocks. Digital participatory formats support decision-makers in involving civil society and business, experts and citizens in identifying solutions and testing them in innovative experimental spaces.
German municipalities become smart
As part of the call for proposals for the Smart Cities model projects, the BMI has commissioned a consortium of various DLR institutes, under the leadership of DLR-PT, to set up and supervise a Coordination and Transfer Office (KTS). Its primary task will be to accompany the Smart Cities model projects funded by the BMI. It is to support municipalities in implementing their wide range of ideas and transferring the qualities of the European city into the age of digitalisation. Its second important objective is to disseminate the knowledge gained and make it available to other communities, for example via open source solutions.
As part of the contract, DLR-PT is responsible for the overall project management of the comprehensive technical support of the model projects. This includes consulting services, evaluation and accompanying studies as well as knowledge transfer. The DLR Institutes for Transport Systems Engineering and for Transport Research as well as other institutes and facilities are involved. The partner consortium includes the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, the German Institute of Urban Affairs, Creative Climate Cities and Prognos AG. In order to cover the entire range of topics, the DLR project management agency is contributing its interdisciplinary expertise in integrated urban development, technological and social innovations, digitalisation, sustainability as well as public services and public welfare orientation. In addition, DLR-PT has many years of experience in managing offices, political and scientific communication, and supporting projects and programmes – from strategy development, funding and consulting to monitoring and evaluation.
DLR-PT is the central pillar of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) for research and innovation management and strategic policy advice and complements DLR's research activities. Further information on the funding project or on DLR-PT activities can be found in the current edition of the Annual Report.