6 Jan '17

Antwerp’s City of Things project officially launched

Summary

Sensors and monitors across the city of Antwerp will talk to each other and share information on mobility, energy consumption and air quality as part of a major urban digital project

 

Internet of Things

Antwerp has officially announced its City of Things project, which turns the port city into a living lab where companies, researchers, residents and local authorities can experiment with smart technology. The project is based on the Internet of Things, meaning a network of digitally connected objects and infrastructure that exchange data using embedded sensors.

The city is collaborating with Leuven-based nanotechnology research centre imec and the government of Flanders for the City of Things, which has been running pilot projects for about a year. Those include measuring air quality using sensors attached to Bpost vehicles, monitoring energy consumption in real time and cars on the move communicating directly with traffic management systems.

The project is co-ordinated by imec’s StartupVillage, where it develops and assists start-up activities for Antwerp. In the period 2017-2019, the city is investing €650,000 in City of Things. The Flemish government has earmarked €4 million annually for the project.

“We want to make life in cities more pleasant and sustainable using everything technology can offer,” said Flemish innovation minister Philippe Muyters. “We will build a smart city with an open, safe and expandable foundation on which everyone has the chance to develop ideas.”

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