Prof. Frederik Ahlemann presented the Master Plan Digital Duisburg and the Smart City Duisburg Innovation Center at the kick-off event "Digitaler Masterplan Duisburg" in the auditorium of the Haniel Academy in Duisburg Ruhrort on July 9, 2018. The aim of this event was to present the long-term transformation of Duisburg city into a Smart City and to inspire the attendees to participate.

Together with Mr. Martin Murrack, head of personnel, organization, and digitization of Duisburg city, Prof. Ahlemann summarized the development of the digital master plan (“Masterplan Digitales Duisburg”), which had been adopted in March 2018, for 150 business and political representatives. The two speakers also presented the previously achieved organizational, technical, and content-related endeavors. The Masterplan Digital Duisburg had been developed in close cooperation with Duisburg city. In a second presentation, Prof. Ahlemann and the Managing Director of the Gesellschaft für Informationstechnologie Duisburg mbH, Mr. Stefan Soldat, demonstrated how Smart City initiatives can be successfully implemented. They also provided an overview of the Smart City Duisburg Innovation Center, which covers research on, development, and evaluation of innovative Smart City solutions. Further information on the Smart City initiative and the Innovation Center can be found here: www.duisburgsmartcity.de

Another important part of the event was the signing of a letter of intent by leading representatives from business, administration, politics, universities, and other partners. These included: the Lord Mayor Sören Link, Ernest Zhang (President, Huawei Western Europe Enterprise Business Group), Burkhard Landers (President of IHK Duisburg-Wesel-Kleve zu Duisburg), Prof. Dr. Ulrich Radtke (Rector UDE), Alexander Kranki (Chairman, Wirtschaft für Duisburg e.V.), Marcus O. Wittig (CEO DVV), and Prof. Dr. Anton Grabmaier (Director Fraunhofer Institute IMS). With this declaration of intent, the signatories confirmed their commitment to transforming Duisburg city into a Smart City. 

Duisburg city and its partners have established the Smart City Duisburg Innovation Center (SDU-IC) to help guide the next steps of the Digital Masterplan. Prof. Ahlemann is the academic director of the Center. Peder Bergan, a Ph.D. candidate at the SITM chair, has been appointed the leader of this Innovation Center. Among other duties, he will help ensure the Masterplan’s success on the project level and provide the Smart City Duisburg program and portfolio levels with relevant advice.

A comprehensive description of the kick-off event can be found here.