Bern – The city of Zurich is participating in an EU-Japan project that aims to provide cities with a cloud-based urban data platform linking the Internet of Things with open government data. The Bern University of Applied Sciences is one of the coordinating partners.
The CPaaS.io (City Platform-as-a-Service – integrated and open) project links technologies like the Internet of Things, big data and cloud with open government and linked open data, writes the Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) in a statement. Together with the YRP Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory in Japan, it is coordinating the two and a half year EU-funded project to help cities address the challenges brought on by the digital society.
The platform will offer cities a range of different applications that can be provided either by the city itself or by third parties to the public and businesses alike. For example, when managing large events, the platform will offer analytics on the direction visitors are streaming, how to dynamically adapt public transportation to the event, or how authorities can react to hazardous situations, accidents or sudden weather changes.
The European coordinator, Stephan Haller from BFH, sees several benefits of such a platform. “It contributes strongly to urban innovation and strengthens the attractiveness and competitiveness of the city,” he said. “By providing open data, it possibly attracts additional businesses. And the platform empowers the individual citizen to gain control about his or her data and to define, who is allowed to use which data how.”
The European cities participating in the project are Amsterdam, Murcia and Zurich, and in Japan Sapporo, Tokyo and Yokosuka. Companies involved in the platform include the Zurich-headquartered AGT International and Microsoft.
