A Local Example

IT security is also very important to Jan Lindenau, the mayor of the Hanseatic City of Lübeck: As a city, we know more about our citizens than almost anyone else who handles data. Data we must protect at all costs. At the same time the personal data must be distinguished from non-personal data, he adds. Non-personal data should be transparent and accessible to the public for the benefit of our citizens. That's why the city, in cooperation with the Stadtwerke, has launched a Smart City platform. The platform provides citizens with free information about public transportation, parking spaces, possible queues at outdoor pools, temperatures, and more. It's only the latest measure in the city's smart city strategy.

To find out how to arrive at a smart city strategy, what the biggest challenges and initial successes have been, listen to mayor Lindenau in our audio interview.

Stadtwerke CEO Meier is excited about these developments: Over the past few years, a remarkable dynamic has emerged in Lübeck. I believe we are making great progress towards becoming an intelligent and smart city. Some cities in Germany are still a step ahead of us, but I am confident that we will catch up very, very quickly. For instance, in the areas of digital infrastructure, fiber-optic expansion, WLAN, and network infrastructure. Additionally, we are a pioneer in the field of digital schools.