Smart City in focus: Mayor Dennis Weilmann on the expert panel

One highlight of the trade fair was Mayor Dennis Weilmann's participation in the Smart City panel. He spoke about Wolfsburg's digital future and emphasized the importance of closely interlinking infrastructure, innovative technologies and smart citizen services. Wolfsburg, like many other municipalities, is facing various challenges: increasing traffic congestion, the need for sustainable mobility concepts, demographic change, energy efficiency and ever-increasing digitalization in administration and education. By developing into a smart city, these challenges can be tackled in a targeted manner by using data and digital technologies to better manage traffic flows, for example, and to design the infrastructure in a way that conserves resources.

Wolfsburg as a pioneer in digital urban development

Wolfsburg is already showing how a networked city can work. Here are some best practices and use cases from our smart city projects that can also serve as a model for other cities:

• Open City Data Manager: this web application for the management of municipal properties uses digital specialist data and open source software to design modern and digital work processes. It enables rapid responses to defects and improves the service for citizens - based on real-time data.
  Smart parking test field: The counting of cars in parking areas is being tested using sensor technology and object recognition software. The aim is to reduce parking search traffic and environmental pollution as well as improve the quality of life.
• Wolfsburg app: This app offers people in Wolfsburg numerous digital services and makes everyday life easier. It forms the link between the administration and citizens and provides direct access to city information.
• Citizen participation portal mein.Wolfsburg: This digital platform for participation and volunteering creates a new space for participation, information and self-organization. It enables interaction and dialog with the citizens of Wolfsburg.

These examples show: Wolfsburg is putting the smart city concept into practice.

WOBCOM & wolfsburg.de: a strong digital duo

As a digital partner of the city of Wolfsburg, WOBCOM was represented with its own stand and several specialist presentations. It became clear that the basis of every smart city is a high-performance fiber optic infrastructure - and this is precisely where Wolfsburg comes in. The collaboration between WOBCOM and the city of Wolfsburg shows how the close integration of infrastructure and innovative technologies creates the basis for a sustainable and future-proof city. High bandwidths and reliable connections are the basis for ensuring that IoT sensors, apps and AI function smoothly.

The path to the digital city

Wolfsburg has already taken important steps to position itself as a smart city. With initiatives such as #WolfsburgDigital and participation in the Smart Cities Model Projects funding program, the city is focusing on innovative solutions that create added value for citizens. Together with our partners and the support of the population, we will continue on our path to becoming a digital city and establish Wolfsburg as a pioneer in smart city development.