SmartCity Cologne (SCC) is a local network and central communication channel with a focus on innovation and climate neutrality in Cologne. Anyone can join, whether they are private individuals, companies, associations, universities, or initiatives. Together, members come up with clever ideas and forward-looking technologies designed to make Cologne an even better place to live. The city of Cologne, along with local energy supplier RheinEnergie AG, launched the SmartCity Cologne initiative in 2012. SCC showcases smart Cologne projects, networks players, offers funding and initiates collaborations.
By driving innovation and harnessing the opportunities offered by digitization, the SmartCity Cologne initiative is making a significant contribution to shaping Cologne's transition to renewable energy and heating. In collaboration with its partners, SCC aims to support the city on its path to climate neutrality and initiate projects that can be emulated elsewhere. Examples that come under the SmartCity Cologne umbrella include the EU GrowSmarter project with partners in Stockholm and Barcelona, and the ParkPilot project on the Klimastraße, which is testing digital parking space management in Cologne's Nippes district. This uses smart sensors, artificial intelligence, and LED displays mounted on lampposts to significantly reduce the amount of traffic searching for parking spaces in the city center.