Sixteen new IoT Large Scale Pilots selected to shape the global market for Smart Cities and Communities

[Brussels, 3 December 2018] – SynchroniCity, the European IoT Large Scale Pilot for Smart Cities and Communities, has selected 16 pilots out of the 131 groups that responded to the 3m€ open call from all over the world to join the efforts to create a global market for IoT-enabled services for cities and communities.

The 16 projects have been shortlisted to join the SynchroniCity efforts, with the aim to deploy their data-driven solutions based on the philosophy and technical approach from the global Open & Agile Smart Cities network (OASC). The pilot groups will deploy their activities in 18 cities globally, thus adding 10 additional cities to the original 8 core pilot cities of SynchroniCity: Antwerp, Carouge, Eindhoven, Helsinki, Manchester, Milan, Porto, Santander. The 16 new pilots address all the challenges proposed by the SynchroniCity cities, such as climate change adaptation, Increase citizen engagement, encouraging non-motorised (active) transports, enabling Mobility-as-a-Service, reducing air and noise pollution, as well as an open challenge to give the possibility to add new relevant themes to be validated in the SynchroniCity large scale pilot.

“It is fantastic to see so many cities sharing the vision to help create a market based on their needs and in close collaboration with the companies. What we’re seeing here is the foundations of standards-based innovation and procurement being shaped for decades to come”, says Martin Brynskov from Aarhus University and Chair of the Open & Agile Smart Cities network, Coordinator and lead of SynchroniCity.

What’s Next?

The selected pilots will now undergo financial and legal checks and will potentially be slightly re-scoped to be aligned to the actual needs of the SynchroniCity pilot cities, including ensuring proper data protection and data sharing agreements. Contracts will be signed by the end of January 2019, and then the final list of successful pilots will be announced and the exciting work will start. To meet the SynchroniCity team and get insights of the new pilots, join us at ICT2018, 4-6 December, in Vienna and in the Connected Smart Cities Conference, 17 January 2019 in Brussels. Stay tuned for more info on our website.

What is SynchroniCity

Synchronicity opens up a global IoT market where cities and businesses develop shared digital services to improve the lives of citizens and grow local economies. The SynchroniCity project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 732240, and it is part of 104m€ Large Scale Pilots Programme. 38 partners worldwide from business, academia, municipalities and NGOs are contributing to the project.

What is OASC

Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC) is a non-profit, international smart city network that has the goal of creating and shaping the nascent global smart city data and services market. OASC connects 117 smart cities globally organised in national networks from 24 countries and regions. Together, we strive to establish the Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs) needed to create a smart city market.

For more information about SynchroniCity

Francesca Spagnoli
+32 264148547
francesca.spagnoli@enoll.org
European Network of Living Labs
QHHQ – Quadruple Helix Headquarters
Pleinlaan 9, 1050, Brussels, Belgium

For more information about Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC)

Lea Hemetsberger
+32 498111594 lea@oascities.org
Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC)
QHHQ – Quadruple Helix Headquarters
Pleinlaan 9, 1050 Brussels, Belgium