Workshop on citizen participation in business and science in the Smart City Jena

On Thursday, citizens discussed the question "What's in it for me?" with experts from business, science and administration on a digital platform

From March to June, all Jena residents can find out about the status of the Smart City process in their city and get involved in various topics.
The fifth event in the workshop series focused on the innovation potential of business and science.

Jena's innovative strength and its role as a city of KNOWLEDGE are demonstrated by the approximately 430 patents (per 100,000 employees) and the highest density of research institutes in the STEM sector in Germany. The top-class educational landscape, the innovative power of the high-tech industry, the research strength of science and the existing expertise in the digital economy make Jena a city of knowledge. The increasing complexity in the age of digitalization requires and enables completely new forms of collaboration in order to generate and exchange knowledge and develop completely new ideas through interdisciplinary cooperation: The creation of creative spaces and collaboration platforms required for this is already being successfully practiced in many cities. Jena would therefore like to make the innovation and digital location fit for the future and enable digital innovation. There are already initial ideas for this, which were presented to and discussed with citizens yesterday.

One focus of the event was the idea of a "Digital Innovation Hub". It is to become the central hub to provide the network of companies, scientific institutions for research and teaching, administration and urban society with a space for exchange and collaboration. The hub offers all those involved an inspiring collaborative environment to tackle the technological challenges of the future together. Here, people with different perspectives and expertise work together on challenges and solutions for our (urban) society.

Examples of innovation hubs from other cities were also presented in the workshop to illustrate what citizens actually gain from them. The possibilities of a hub range from digital workshops for children and young people to use as a start-up incubator for founders with innovative ideas, providing them with a contact point for exchanging ideas with business, science and administration as well as with users.

Small groups discussed where citizens see further opportunities for the hub and what additional opportunities they could think of for collaboration between business and science. The following ideas, among others, were important to the participants:

A neutral location should be found for the Hub that offers new space for exchange and networking between stakeholders.
Use synergies: the hub should be a place for projects that are already underway as well as a place for facilitating new ideas.
Regular participation formats such as hackathons, get-togethers and the opportunity to test prototypes should be established in the hub.

Chief Digital Officer and overall Smart City project manager, Manuela Meyer, commented on the commitment of the citizens involved:

"The series of events shows once again how many good ideas are coming together from citizens on the topic of Smart City Jena. An innovation hub in particular can only work if it also offers added value for the people of Jena and is perceived and used as an open place to try things out and learn. It became very clear at the event that citizens, together with business, science and administration, can fill such a place with life."

Almost like being there: event on a digital platform

The participation event was held on the Gather.Town platform. This made it possible to take part in the conference digitally, visit workshop rooms virtually and talk to the sub-project management and participating guests. Even though the event was held digitally, these options made it very similar to a face-to-face event.

Smart City process

Since September 2020, the city of Jena has been funded as part of the Smart Cities model projects of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB). The city is currently developing its own digital strategy. Before this is presented to the Jena City Council for a decision, the citizens of Jena will be involved in the process in various ways and at various events and their ideas will be incorporated.

Citizens are invited to submit their own ideas and projects for the Digital Innovation Hub until 25.06.2022. Further information on the Smart City Strategy can be found at smartcity.jena.de. You can participate online here mitmachen.jena.de.