Given that much of the Netherlands lies below sea level, flooding poses a significant risk to citizens, businesses, and infrastructure—including Europe’s largest port. Rotterdam’s Water & Resilience Challenge aims to leverage the Citiverse to:

• Predict: Use advanced data modelling to forecast flooding scenarios.
• Mitigate: Develop solutions that proactively reduce flooding impacts.
• Respond: Enhance response capabilities for faster, more effective action during crises.

This challenge extends beyond flooding to address broader water, resilience, and safety issues. Rotterdam invites innovators worldwide to propose creative solutions that integrate with the city’s digital twin and OUP, ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens while setting a benchmark for urban resilience.

Companies pitching for solutions:
Wapice Ltd
Citynomadi
Younite

Istanbul's Challenge: Earthquake Preparedness
Istanbul faces challenges with fast urban growth, a large population, and complicated transportation. Its varied geography and risk of earthquakes require practical solutions. The city also struggles with air and noise pollution due to heavy traffic and industrial activity. Using smart technologies to manage the city sustainably is essential. It is also important to upgrade infrastructure to meet the growing demands of the population. Addressing pollution, particularly air and noise pollution caused by traffic and industry, is a priority for the city’s health and environment. Additionally, preparing for natural disasters, especially earthquakes, is crucial to protect residents and ensure the city’s resilience in the face of emergencies. Balancing development with environmental and social needs is essential for long-term sustainability and a better quality of life.

• Optimize emergency response.
• Leverage data and artificial intelligence.
• Promote citizen participation.

Las Rozas invites innovators, startups, and experts in technology and security to propose solutions that enhance the city’s reaction capacity, ensuring efficient management and a safer, more prepared community in the face of any emergency.

Urban security is more important than ever. As cities grow and evolve, ensuring safety while fostering a thriving business environment is a pressing challenge. With rapid technological advancements and increasing expectations from residents and businesses, cities must take a proactive, data-driven approach to safety and security. Our vision is to enable the world’s safest city—a place where people and businesses can flourish without concerns about security.

We are looking for solutions that enhance overall urban security and strengthen business vitality by integrating multiple data sources, leveraging advanced analytics and AI methods, and actively engaging both residents and businesses.

To improve safety and the business environment, we seek solutions that:

• Collect and analyze data from various sources, such as sensors, pedestrian and traffic flows, crime statistics, and other urban environment metrics.
• Detect anomalies and anticipate risks, such as potential safety threats, disruptions, or patterns related to crime and public disturbances.
• Actively engage local businesses and residents to ensure the solutions provide value to different user groups and support sustainable urban development.

The solutions should combine technological innovation with community participation, offering a comprehensive, data-driven, and community-inclusive approach to making the city safer, more attractive, and economically vibrant. We are looking for forward-thinking partners whose solutions can enhance security and bring tangible value to the urban environment.

• What are digital credentials and digital identity wallets?
• What are the benefits of EUDI for citizens and organizations?
• EUDI Regulation timeline
• Required changes for public and private sector organizations introduced by the regulation
• Use cases and experiences

Phoenix's Challenge: Pathways to Health, Community Connections and Economic Opportunities

Additional: Utilizing data sets, existing real-time data (through partners like google), sensor technologies in the streetscape, etc., the digital twin will empower City leadership teams to identify current shade and determine the optimal areas for additional shade (manufactured and natural), where people are biking, walking, using public transportation and ridesharing apps, as well how best to position shade installations for optimal outcomes, and/or mechanical shade to move with the sun. The project will connect “cool corridors” throughout the city, which include access to chilled water and bicycle service hubs.

User Experience: Residents and visitors will have access to a virtual map, with directional options (voice, digital maps, prompts, etc.), with accessibility features, to guide them through shaded areas of the city and access to amenities including chilled water.