Alderman Barbara Kathmann is vice-mayor of economy, districts and small localities: “Cities need to establish a strategy, build their analytics capacity, and work with partners, including academia, to establish a data commons that can benefit all. The collaboration with ECDA helps the municipality to become more data-driven. Multidisciplinary teams participate in the training programmes and develop concrete proof of concepts; it’s hands-on training. We’re helped by the research and student engagement in European smart city innovation programmes to develop the new insights that we need to become smarter and more sustainable. Our partnership with ECDA provides us with the opportunity to position the municipality as an attractive employer among young talents who want to work on societal impact.”
