World leaders in smart city solutions
Smart City Aarhus creates sustainable urban innovation and development.
Business Region Aarhus is a leader in Smart City solutions – in order both to ensure the best possible framework for our citizens and businesses, and to offer an attractive test environment for technological development with an international perspective.
In Business Region Aarhus, technology supports business growth and attracts newcomers to urban and rural areas. Basically, smart communities are cities, towns, and rural areas where the available resources are better utilised; where new resources are activated; and the existing ones are used more appropriately. Communities where digital technology helps to challenge the classic division of labour between public and private sectors.
Cluster organisation for the IT sector
Players in East Jutland are currently working on establishing a cluster organisation for the IT sector with the food cluster as a role model. The cluster must support business development activities, e.g. initiatives that can boost the digitalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises in Business Region Aarhus.
Smart City Aarhus was set up with a view to creating sustainable urban innovation and development. The model focuses on creating markets through partnerships. Smart City Aarhus is a digital market established to create value and to address social, environmental, and economic challenges.
Viewed from an international perspective, Smart City Aarhus is seen as the Scandinavian ‘third way’ for developing a smart city. The American version of smart city development is primarily based on commercial interests, while the Asian model is centrally controlled. The Scandinavian model is instead based on user involvement, with users and citizens actively participating with a view to generating increased growth – both nationally and regionally.
The aim is thus to enable partnerships and cooperation across the public sector, the business community, research and education, and between individual citizens. Open Data Aarhus and Internet Week Denmark are examples of projects we have initiated to promote such partnerships.