The Smart City Campus in Westhausen is now listed as a real-world laboratory on the innovation portal of the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV). Zentrum für digitale Entwicklung (ZDE), together with GEO DATA GmbH and KI-P GmbH, received the award for its innovative testbed – a milestone for municipal digitalization in Baden-Württemberg and beyond.
Real conditions, real insights
The focus of the real-world laboratory is on municipal use cases that are tested and further developed in a practical setting using digital technologies. At the site in Westhausen, solutions for intelligent parking management, monitoring air quality and black ice risk, as well as for the use of public Wi-Fi and 5G can be experienced firsthand. This is made possible by a modular infrastructure that links sensors, data processing, and visualization – directly on and within smart luminaires.
Research meets application
The Smart City Campus acts as an interface between science, business, and administration. Within the framework of the federally funded 5G-innovation program, we receive not only financial support but also the legal framework to operate our own 5G-campus network.
Influence on standards and legislation
The insights gained in the real-world laboratory directly inform the development of technical standards and future norms – for example, in the area of open data platforms or regarding how municipal data can be processed and provided in a legally compliant manner. Furthermore, authorities such as the Federal Network Agency and the Federal Ministry of Data Protection and Freedom of Information (BMDV) actively support the further development and networking of the project.
More than a test field
The Smart City Campus demonstrates how municipal digitalization can be implemented in a concrete, efficient, and future-oriented way. With its exemplary structure and practical approach, it provides important impetus for the development of livable and sustainable cities throughout Germany.
