TalTech announces up to €3M infunding for cities addressing urban challenges

Cities globally are invited to send their complex challenges to receive funding and pilot projects support in creating new smart city solutions.

FinEst Centre for Smart Cities, located in Tallinn University of Technology, has started the 4th round of Smart City Challenge. The aim is to collect complex modern urban challenges to create smart and science-based solutions for them in cooperation with researchers and developers.

Representatives of the cities are invited to a webinar on April 3, where they can get a more detailed overview of participation opportunities. 

Külle Tärnov, Head of Innovation at the FinEst Centre explained: “Cities play a crucial role in achieving sustainable development objectives while ensuring the well-being of their residents through safe and healthy living environments. Addressing complex issues like energy efficiency and mobility demands collaborative efforts. It is not simple for cities to navigate these challenges, and that’s when we come in by offering practical, research-based solutions empowered by modern technology and data analytics.

This edition of the challenge introduces an international focus, initiating pilots with Estonian cities partnering with cities across the world. It presents a unique opportunity for collaboration with Estonia, globally renowned for its digital efficiency. Cities can gain firsthand insights into Estonia’s innovation and policies, offering a chance to become a testbed for cutting-edge, international smart city projects.

Ralf-Martin Soe, Founding Director of FinEst Centre added that it's an important goal for the centre to encourage international cooperation: “All our research and development activities in the smart city field are international, and we want to expand that to the pilot projects as well. Many cities are facing similar challenges and by solving them in collaboration, we look for a way out of a wider problem. This is how we solve a wider urban problem and create scalable solutions."

In June 2023, the initial set of pilot projects concluded their developments, resulting in the implementation of smart city services that are now operational within the cities. Notably, the DigiAudit solution, designed to assess real-time energy efficiency and indoor climate in buildings, was licensed to the Estonian Internet of Things company, Thinnect OÜ. This innovative service is now available for property owners seeking valuable insights.

This year's competition anticipates the resolution of similar challenges using modern technology and data. Examples of past challenges posed in the 2023 idea competition included strategies for conserving drinking water and identifying alternative sources for industrial water consumption; optimizing limited urban space, reducing car traffic in specific areas; and outlining a roadmap for smart city developments within cities.

All information about the Smart City Challenge 2024 can be found on the dedicated website.

The implementation of the pilot projects is financed by the "FinEst Centre for Smart Cities" project funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.