About focus area Smart Cities and Communities

The University-wide and multidisciplinary focus area Smart Cities and Communities brings together research, education and collaboration that prepare people and society to tackle the industrial and societal challenges of the future. The focus area works with the following six dimensions: governance, economy, mobility, environment, people and living.

Focus area Smart Cities and Communities prepare people and society for the future within the scope of smart cities and societies, adding value to tackle industrial and societal challenges. The focus is on small and medium-sized cities and problems are often tackled with a system-of-systems perspective.

The focus area’s vision is: A leading academic enabler for sustainable societies.

The focus area’s mission is: To support society in providing knowledge and solutions for creating and upholding smart, sustainable cities.

Focus area Smart Cities and Communities.

Six dimensions and three areas of strength

The focus area works with the following six dimensions:

Governance (open and participatory platform which supports the collaboration in between the government and the stakeholders and citizens; transparency; ICT and e-government in participatory decision-making and co-created e-services)
Economy (entrepreneurship and innovation; sustainable business models; business/innovation ecosystems; ICT-enabled and advanced manufacturing and delivery of services)
Mobility (transportation infrastructure and the integration of ICT in the systems; mobility as service; sustainable travel behaviour; intelligent vehicles and traffic management)
Environment (energy; attractive natural condition; reduced rate of pollution; environmental protection and sustainable resources management; circular economy)
People (lifelong learning; human resources and capacity management; inclusive society that improves creativity and fosters innovation)
Living (quality of life of the residents; good quality housing; healthy and safe living)

In addition to the six dimensions above, the focus area has defined three areas of strength. These areas should not be seen as silos, but as integrated by activities related to the six dimensions. The areas of strength are: