SMART CITY EXPO KYOTO

March 26-27, 2014

As part of the annual Smart City Expo World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, every year, THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE OF KYOTO SMART CITY EXPO plan on holding the event in Kyoto in order to promote exchange of smart city-related business and technology through establishing of a three pole network between Asia, Europe, and South America.

Main Theme

Next Generation Cities and New Industries through "Green Environment"

Taking into account international trends for the creation of smart cities and development of new technologies and systems for the next generation, this symposium aims to identify what smart, slim, and comfortable cities should be, as well as provide directions for the creation of new industries that generate further business opportunities.

Sub Themes:

Smart Cities for Urban and Social Development

Smart Society

Development of information and communication technology has fundamentally changed not only daily lifestyles, but also communication between people and social systems. It is increasingly important that we make the best use of information and communication technologies to make our lives more comfortable, as well as to create a more safe and secure society.

In this session, we focus on advanced verification projects, aiming at construction of sustainable and smart social system for the next generation.

Urban Transformation

Various programs to develop smart cities are being carried out throughout the world, aiming to solve a wide variety of problems facing urban areas. Urban transformation is underway at a high speed.

This session focuses on urban development and its issues related to common issues such as energy, health, medicine, aging populations, food, disaster preparedness, which many regions are facing today.

Technological Research and Industry for Smart Cities

Sustainable Mobility

Realization of comfortable mobility is an important issue for the formation of smart cities. Amid the increasing world's population, coupled with concentration of urban populations, conventional road networks that have reached their physical limits have become a serious issue along with the problem of CO2 emissions.

This session focuses on new technological development of next generation automobiles and development of road transportation systems, as well as transformation of transport systems from automobile-centric communities to communities centered about pedestrians, bicycles, and public transportation

Green Economic Development

We are facing serious environmental problems caused by mass consumption of energy and natural resources as a result of economic growth. In order to solve those problems, we must continuously make efforts to change the way we live and work in our daily lives and economic activities as well as try hard to develop sustainable smart cities.

In this session, we focus on the development of cutting-edge technology and systems and international standardization in green-growth sectors such as smart houses, smart buildings, and new energy resources.

3rd Annual Conference of InnoGrid 2020+

25 - 26 March, Brussels

The InnoGrid 2020+ 3rd Annual Conference will take place in Brussels next 25th and 26th of March 2014.

An entire session will be dedicated to Grids in Smart Cities, with High Level Speakers such as:

-Mercè Griera, Research and Innovation, DG Connect, European Commission

-Ronnie Belmans, Energyville / GSGF

-Rémy Garaude, Smart Grids Project Manager at ERDF

 

The event, organized by the European Distribution System Operators for Electricity (EDSO) for Smart Grids, the European Network of Transmissions System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and GRID+, will gather Researchers, Industry Representatives and Policy Makers who will assess the role of Research and Development in the electricity grids of the future.

During the Conference, eleven Key Speakers will approach the status of EU funding opportunities and the challenges and the integration of new energy systems and consumers, among other topics.

The InnoGrid 2020+ event starts on the 25th of March at 8h30 and concludes on the 26th of March at 16h30. For more information, visit the Conference’s website.

http://eu-smartcities.eu/content/3rd-annual-conference-innogrid-2020-0

The 10 Smartest Cities In Europe

Which European cities are doing the most innovative things with infrastructure, technology, and entrepreneurship?

When it comes to smart cities, Europe is the model for the rest of the world to learn from. European cities tend to be denser, have better public transit, larger commitment to cycling and walking, a stronger focus on sustainability and low-carbon solutions, and perhaps most important, a culture and citizenry more engaged in the journey towards more sustainable and smarter cities. Of course this is a generalization: this series of regional ranking reports has demonstrated leadership from cities across the globe.

But, as I wrote in our rankings of North America's smartest cities, our urban centers "demand 21st-century solutions to accommodate their growing populations in ways that not only maintain the quality of life, but also improve it. In short, smart cities are innovative cities."

Without further ado, here is the top 10 smart cities for Europe in 2013.

1. COPENHAGEN

Notching top spot for the second year in a row Copenhagen has established a reputation as the leading green city across the globe. Copenhagen led the Siemens Green City Index for Europe and has also been selected as the European Green Capital for 2014. And with good reason. Copenhagen has one of the lowest carbon footprints/capita in the world (less than two tons/capita). Copenhagen also has the most ambitious carbon reduction plan of any major city in the world. They aspire to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025. That may sound a ways away but that is only 12 years from now.

In order to achieve such an ambitious goal, the city has established hardcore targets including energy efficiency and renewable objectives, green building standards (all new buildings to be carbon neutral by 2020), and increased transit access to name a few.

Of course, our readers are well aware of the impressive cycling rates in the city-approximately 40% of all commutes are conducted by bike. The city also recently collaborated with MIT to develop a smart bike equipped with sensors to deliver to provide real-time info to not only the rider but also to administrators for open data aggregation on issues of air contamination and traffic congestion.

2. AMSTERDAM

Like Copenhagen the cycling rates here are off the charts. In fact, Amsterdam may be the only city in the world that has more problems with pedestrian and cycling traffic congestion than vehicle congestion. 67% of all trips are done by cycling or walking. In fact, on a daily basis there are 10,000 bikes parked anywhere a space can be found adjacent to the central train station.

But Amsterdam is much more than just bikes. In fact, in speaking with the founder of this first bikesharing project in the world, which occurred in Amsterdam decades ago, Luud Schimmelpennick, showed me videos of their first experiment in electric vehicle sharing in the early 1990s.

In recent years, Amsterdam has stepped up its pace to be a leading smart city. Amsterdam Smart City is a public private partnership focused on using the city as an urban laboratory for the use of open data, new mobility solutions and ultimately improved quality of life for all residents and visitors. The collaboration has already supported more than 40 smart city projects ranging from smart parking to the development of home energy storage for integration with a smart grid.

3. VIENNA

Vienna has long been known as having a very high quality of life, but it is a city that hasn’t rested on its quality reputation. Vienna has a sizable range of smart cities activities and a planning department, led by Thomas Madreiter, that gets it.

In fact Vienna recently created a public private entity, TINA Vienna which is tasked with co-developing smart city strategies and solutions for the city. They gave me a document which summarizes more than 100 smart cities projects being developed throughout the city. One cool project is the so-called “Citizen Solar Power Plant." With a goal of obtaining 50% of their energy from renewables by 2030, the city partnered with the local energy provider, Wien Energy, they developed a crowd-funding model whereby individual citizens can buy half or whole panels and receive a guaranteed return of 3.1% annually.

Vienna is also testing out a range of electric mobility solutions from expanding their charging network from 103 to 440 stations by 2015 to testing EV carsharing and electric bike rentals. Another important innovation has been in rezoning dense neighborhoods allowing for zero-parking residential buildings. Residents in these communities commit to not owning a personal vehicle.

Finally, Vienna is renovating a 40 hectare former slaughterhouse district and turning it into a much smarter use: an innovation district focused on media science and technology. By 2016, the city expects 15,000 people to working on startups in the Neu Marx Quarter district.

4. BARCELONA

Barcelona is a cosmopolitan city known for its sun, architecture, and lively streets. Yet, Barcelona has been building a rather impressive portfolio of smart city initiatives over recent years. The city has taken a unique position of not only advancing its own initiatives, but trying to provide support for the global smart cities movement. This has been manifested in a few key initiatives. One, Barcelona holds the premier global event for smart cities stakeholders, the Smart Cities Expo World Congress. Pilar Conesa, the city’s former chief technology officer, is the director of the congress, and with her support, Barcelona has actually expanded this initiative to other parts of the world. This year, they co-hosted a smart cities expo in Bogota to serve the Latin American region. Barcelona is the driver behind the City Protocol initiative which seeks to connect global cities in pilot projects to address common challenges.

But for those living in Barcelona (or visiting) there is a lot going on in this space. Barcelona was an early player in testing e-mobility. They have an excellent bike-sharing project with more than 6,000 bikes, although last I visited, only residents could use them. Barcelona has also been testing all kinds of sensors on everything from noise and air contamination to traffic congestion and even waste management. Barcelona’s 22@ innovation district is also an impressive mix of smart urban planning and entrepreneurial innovation. This sector of the city has been transformed into an innovation home attracting local and international entrepreneurs to set up shop. The district has been so successful that it has inspired cities like Boston and Buenos Aires to follow suit. With all of their innovations and strong quality of life, perhaps it is no surprise that the life expectancy in Barcelona is among the highest of cities I have studied (83 years).

5. PARIS

Paris, most known for its fantastic museums and of course the Eiffel Tower, Paris has become a pioneer in the smart cities arena. Their most impressive initiatives have been in their complete embrace of shared mobility. Paris has led the world in their expansive and widely used bikesharing network, Vélib'. Currently, the system has more than 20,000 bikes and 1,800 bikes throughout the city. Evidence suggests that Velib has led to a 5% reduction in vehicle congestion in the city. Not to be outdone, the city partnered with Bolloré to create one of the world’s first and most expansive EV carsharing programs. Launched in 2011, Autolib will soon have 3,000 EVs in its carsharing fleet.

Paris has also managed to foster a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Startup Genome project recently measured city-based entrepreneurial ecosystems around the globe, taking into account variables such as access to capital, volume of startups each year and innovations generated. Paris’ ecosystem was rated 11th best in the world.

6. STOCKHOLM

Stockholm has a deservedly green reputation. In fact, about 40% of its land mass is dedicated to green space. Stockholm was rated #2 in Siemens Green City Index. In 2010, Stockholm was the first city to be awarded the EU Green Capital status. Stockholm residents are also amongst the highest per capita users of the Stockholm Metro system. Like its Scandinavian peer, Copenhagen, Stockholm also aspires to become carbon neutral, by 2050 instead of 2025. Due to congestion management including urban tolling and pollution controls, Stockholm is the only global city to meet stringent the World Health Organization’s recommended air contaminant standards. Stockholm also can boast about its 800 kilometers of cycling paths.

It’s not all about being green. Stockholm has also received top marks for its commitment to digital governance. Out of 100 global capitals surveyed by Rutgers University, Stockholm was rated 7th and scored 1st amongst cities for its commitment to data privacy and security for citizens. The Stockholm Royal Seaside (SRS) urban regeneration project has also become a test bed for new information and communication technologies (ICTs) designed to improve the quality of life, grow the local economy and help Stockholm remain a green leader in the region.

7. LONDON

Not surprisingly, London earned first place in the smart economy category. It has long been considered the financial capital of Europe, but it has also emerged as a leader in entrepreneurship. The Startup Genome project rated London the 7th best entrepreneurial ecosystem, number one in Europe.

Of course London made waves with its congestion zone which generates additional income for the city while reducing traffic in the urban core. London also took strategic use of the Olympics (like Vancouver before them) to help make the city greener while also focusing on economic development. London’s Royal Docks emerged from the Olympics planning as a regenerated, sustainable commercial and residential area. This area is already home to one of the greenest and smartest buildings in Europe, the Crystal, built by Siemens to showcase smart city technologies.

8. HAMBURG

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and the first of two to make the top 10 ranking this year. Like a few others on this list, Hamburg also was awarded the European Green Capital designation in 2011. Hamburg also offers a high standard of living having been ranked 17th globally by Mercer in 2012 and eighth globally by Numbeo.

In recent years, Hamburg has embarked on widescale transformation. At 157 hectares, HafenCity (Harbor City) is Europe’s largest urban regeneration project. When completed in 2025, this roughly billion project will house a university, a port, and lots of mixed-use residential and commercial development connected with excellent, green transit.

9. BERLIN

Berlin has a lot going for it as well. A concept closely tied to smart cities is the creative class work led by famed researcher Richard Florida. The evidence suggests that successful cities of the future will be those that are able to attract and retain the creative class who will lead urban renewal and economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship and by supporting a vibrant cultural scene. Berlin has that in spades.

Enrique Moretti said it better than I can, in his recent book, The New Geography of Jobs: “Berlin’s well-established progressive attitudes, gritty but interesting architecture, and tormented history inspire a feeling of experimentation ... two zoos, three major opera houses, seven symphony orchestras, and scores of museums ... Walking along the beautiful streets of the historic downtown, you cannot escape the impression that this unique mix of creativity and high quality of life is hard to surpass ...”

10. HELSINKI

Helsinki barely edged out Oslo for the 10th and final spot in this year’s rankings. Helsinki really shines in the Smart Government arena. They have more than 1,000 open datasets and have been actively promoting engagement with developers through hackathons. They also played host to the first global Open Knowledge Festival in 2012. Berlin by the way is the host in 2014. Helsinki also launched their Forum Virium Smart City Project to provide ubiquitous data to their citizens in hopes of improving quality of life.

Oslo, Brussels, and Frankfurt earned honorable mention for 2013.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3024721/the-10-smartest-cities-in-europe

Smart Cities International Exhibition

Date: 5-7 March 2014
Frequency: Annual
Organizer: Via Expo
Venue: Sofia, Inter Expo Center

The first South-East European Smart Cities event will focus exclusively on Intelligent Energy, Intelligent Mobility & Transport, Intelligent Emergencies Management and ICT, Intelligent Waste Management. Today, 80 % of the Europeans live in urban areas. Cities occupy only about 2% of the land area, but they consume 75 % of resources and emit 80 % CO2. It is really important to find ways to reduce this consumption and the pollution.

The aim of this event is to demonstrate solutions that will help the urban systems to offer better and more efficient services for their citizens. Smarter cities not only improve the quality of life, but also decrease the bills and stimulate sustainable growth.

http://via-expo.com/en/pages/smart-cities

EMBEDDED WORLD EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE 2014

25 - 27 February 2014

Nürnberg, Germany

From 25 to 27 February 2014 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre the focus will once again be on all things embedded systems: the embedded community comes together here in annual rotation at the embedded world Exhibition & Conference. As a leading international world fair with the focus exclusively on embedded technologies, it reflects the trends in the sector; around 900 exhibitors are presenting state-of-the-art covering all aspects of embedded systems. Come to Nuremberg at the end of February and discuss, work and learn together with the best the sector has to offer!

Challenging conventional thinking at the 2014 ESC/EELive!

Industry-leading engineers who have hands-on experience harnessing the forces and technologies reshaping embedded systems and the electronics industry will share their real-world experiences and teach EE Live! attendees how to streamline their product development efforts and transform their napkin sketches into business realities.

Founders and top engineers from recent startups such as Orbotix, 8-Bit Lit, Adapteva, and Spark Business will discuss topics such as the software languages required to connect a device to the cloud (that are likely outside the embedded and electronics designer's skill set), open UI solutions for projects on a budget, and tricks for bringing firmware back to life. When they come together at EE Live! in San Jose, Calif., March 31 to April 3, these first-time speakers will change your perspective about what it means to be a design/systems engineer today.

European Initiative on Smart Cities

Strategic objective

To demonstrate the feasibility of rapidly progressing towards our energy and climate objectives at a local level while proving to citizens that their quality of life and local economies can be improved through investments in energy efficiency and reduction of carbon emissions. This Initiative will foster the dissemination throughout Europe of the most efficient models and strategies to progress towards a low carbon future.

This Initiative will support cities and regions in taking ambitious and pioneering measures to progress by 2020 towards a 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable use and production of energy. This will require systemic approaches and organisational innovation, encompassing energy efficiency, low carbon technologies and the smart management of supply and demand. In particular, measures on buildings, local energy networks and transport would be the main components of the Initiative.

http://setis.ec.europa.eu/set-plan-implementation/technology-roadmaps/european-initiative-smart-cities

Smart Cities and Communities

Support for a better future

The European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) brings together cities, industry and citizens to improve urban life through more sustainable integrated solutions.

This includes applied innovation, better planning, a more participatory approach, higher energy efficiency, better transport solutions, intelligent use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), etc.

http://ec.europa.eu/eip/smartcities/index_en.htm

CLINES European project presented and launched to GAIA´s members

On 26 November, the CLINES European project, in which several technological organisations based in Europe take part, was presented to the GAIA companies in the Information Systems Committee. The project is aimed at boosting innovation and competitiveness of European businesses in the field of embedded systems technology oriented to smart cities, more specifically, to energy efficiency.

At the presentation, preliminary tasks were carried out like the drawing of a road map including capabilities in the sphere of smart cities. In the first stage of the project, a knowledge map will be drawn of the regions involved, indicating what they are doing in the fields of smart cities.

Kick Off Meeting of the Project

The city of Aalborg, in Denmark, hosted the first workshop of CLINES (Cluster-based innovation through embedded systems technology), a European project that gathers a number of European technology organisations aimed at boosting innovation and global competitiveness of European businesses in the  promising domain of smart cities. CLINES will explore how embedded technologies can make cities smarter, with a focus on increased energy-efficiency.

The 36-month project is funded by the European Commission through the 7^th Framework Programme. Participating clusters include Brains Business (Denmark), BICC NET (Germany), GAIA-Cluster TEIC (Basque Country) and DSP Valley (Belgium). Among its partners are technology centres, universities and national agencies, such as Aalborg Universitet, Fundación Tecnalia and IWT (Flemish Agency of Innovation, Science and Technology).

Through strategic cooperation, a common agenda will be established to:

• Help small businesses in their regions with investments in innovation to improve global competitiveness
• Establish new joint funding sources based on good practices in all regions
• Help develop smart specialisation strategies in all regions, building on specific individual knowledge and following common cross-border action plans.

In the first stage of the project, a knowledge map will be drawn of the regions involved indicating what they are focusing on in the domain of smart energy-efficient cities powered by embedded technologies.

‘Using the information on the map, we will prepare a working agenda that will help us go further to encourage business innovation and competitiveness at the global level in fields of high strategic interest,’ a member of the consortium said.

The CLINES partners stressed that the next stages of the project will be essential ‘to boost economic growth by creating an innovation environment encouraging R&D into new technologies and products.