Ten Big Tech Ideas to Change Athens
A platform that helps avoid congestion in shops. An innovative design robot for artistic interventions in public spaces. A smart device for schools that measures air quality to avoid contamination by viruses and pollutants.
These are just three of the ten savvy ideas to be wheeled out for the Greek capital during the 3rd cycle of the Athens Digital Lab (ADL).
Last July, young entrepreneurs, research and student groups were invited by the ADL – a tech solution incubator implemented by the Municipality of Athens and the Local Government IT Company of City of Athens - to submit proposals to "meet" the real needs of the city, improve the quality of life for residents and visitors and upgrade the services of the Council. More than 70 proposals were submitted and underwent three stages of evaluation.
The topline consideration throughout was the feasibility of implementing the ideas in Athens. Fifteen teams were long-listed to present their pitches to the ADL Committee, which included executives from the Municipality of Athens, COSMOTE and NOKIA. Of these, 10 were selected to join the 3rd cycle of the program. Over the next 12 months, they will develop technology products and services for a more modern and sustainable city to be implemented in real conditions in different city locations.
Says Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis: “Innovation comes from people who are empowered to think differently, and today we need this more than ever. At the Athens Digital Lab we are creating new ways for visitors to enjoy the city in a way that is both sustainable and fun. We're investing in our innovators and visionaries by giving local talent the resources, mentorship, and opportunity to lead the digital transformation of the city.”
Here are some of the winning highlights:
Mobito Technology: for Easier Parking
An easy-to-use platform for an effective mapping of the city, resulting in improved parking and urban mobility solutions, using data that will be exchanged by users.
Siba IoT: for Healthier Air
A technology product that reliably measures air quality (temperature, humidity, CO2) by visualizing and analyzing data to detect congestion and risk of viral contamination (eg COVID-19) and pollutants in public buildings such as schools.
Loader: to hook up Electric Cars
The app connects electric car drivers to available charging stations, encouraging them to power up with renewable energy sources. Drivers are informed in real time about the availability of the stations and will be able to charge their electric car at a lower cost.
Dotbot: for Instagram-friendly Streets
A novel design robot that creates large-scale images on vertical surfaces. Dotbot will contribute to the graffiti clean-up of Athens, while young artists will experiment with new technologies to create beautiful images for the city.
New Wave: for more accessible Free Wi-Fi
A smart-box, powered by a solar panel, will offer free Wi-Fi in key areas of the city, such as bus stops and squares, granting passers-by the ability to charge their electronic devices, as well as catch on a small screen useful information about the city.
CityCrop: for Pesticide-free Indoor Allotments
Citycrop's automated smart device uses advanced algorithms to foster indoor cultivation by creating the correct microclimate for better performance, while special sensors speed up crops with less water – and without the use of pesticides.
Athens Digital Lab is the first municipal technological innovation hub in Greece and supports innovative ideas that are transformed into “smart city” solutions. You can find out more about its pivotal role in bolstering young entrepreneurs here.