On the 21st of June we kicked off a new phase of Amsterdam Smart City. Amsterdam Smart City is an open collective of citizens, businesses, knowledge institutions and public authorities that are convinced that the changes necessary for the city and region, can only be achieved through collaboration.
More partners than ever are pooling their networks, knowledge and skills. Who are they? We will present some of them one by one. Now AMS Institute: ‘Creating value for all involved parties including citizens makes the process of innovation more complex, but leads to better results.'
What is the main reason for you to join the open collective Amsterdam Smart City?
The main reason to join the ASC coalition of the willing is to co-develop and accelerate urban innovations that create true value, matter to citizens and help solve some of the most pressing challenges in our city (and cities worldwide). By joining forces we hope to speed up the process of innovation, create more value for society and reduce the risks associated to new solutions. AMS Institute is able to contribute with cutting-edge research and knowhow to co-create urban solutions that work.
What is your ambition for the city and the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area?
We aim to help create and (re-)design the city into a sustainable, resilient, intelligent and creative city with a very high quality of life for its citizens and visitors. This is to create a prosperous future. We bring together some of the brightest minds and knowhow in technology, engineering and design to make work on the topic of urban innovation.
What do you think is the biggest challenge for the city and the region in the future?
Working towards the most prosperous, sustainable and creative region in the Netherlands, and even Europe, with a high quality of life for all of its citizens. This entitles solving challenges on sustainable energy transition, circular resource flows, accessible and affordable mobility, and the development of new digital technologies. On top of this, these solutions will need to be implemented in a meaningful and integrated way, in the context of highly densified areas with limited space availability. Solving these challenges in a holistic and citizen-centered way will be the biggest challenge, and opportunity.
How do you see the role of the residents and citizens in your plans?
Co-creating and co-developing urban solutions requires involvement and empowerment of citizens in the innovation process. This should enhance and facilitate the development and implementation of accepted solutions that work and create value for all involved parties, including citizens. This makes the process of innovation more complex, but should lead to better results and impact. How to organize citizen involvement and empowerment in uncertain innovation processes is something we, together with the broader ASC initiative, will have to learn and discover along the way.
What do you hope to work on in the upcoming years?
We hope to work on new solutions in the area of renewable energy integration in the city, Mobility as a Service, with solutions that are affordable and accessible to all, circular economy in the city, and adequate and meaningful digital technologies that improve city services and operations that enable citizen empowerment.
