The heart of smart cities must reflect the diverse qualities of their citizens*, their challenges and aspirations. This year's European conference of the IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Society (TEMS) at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts also focused on the search for innovative projects that take people's interests and aspirations into account while advancing the digital transformation.
The Digital Conference 2021 was chaired by Dr. Beverly Pasian, who conducts research on Smart City - Quality of Life at the Department of Computer Science at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts (FH Dortmund) as well as at the Hogeschool Utrecht, and by Prof. Dr. Carsten Wolff(Opens in a new tab) (FH Dortmund) and organized by Anna Badasian and Nargiza Mikhirdinova (IDiAL). The IEEE is technically supported by the network European Partnership in Project and Innovation Management (EuroPIM)(Opens in a new tab) .
Main subject of the conference was the research of which projects can be used to shape the development into smart cities in such a way that people's goals are in focus, especially regarding sustainability and accountability. Best practice contributions on this came from more than 20 countries. "Our online format was well received by participants, especially the many opportunities for discussion and interactions," says Prof. Dr. Carsten Wolff. A joint research agenda for the future in the field of "Technology & Engineering Management" emerged, which will be pursued in the next four conferences. Dortmund UAS will help shape these four IEEE E-TEMS conferences, which will then take place at the partner universities in Bilbao, Kaunas, Trondheim and Leuven.
Cross-site research community
Continuously improving the quality of life in cities through technology-based, innovative projects requires an equally continuous effort by research, industry, and government stakeholders in close collaboration with the people who live in these cities. Thus, conference participants have come together to discuss the formation of a German Chapter of the IEEE Technology & Engineering Management Society. At the same time, a cross-site research community on smart city projects is emerging.
"At Dortmund UAS, "Smart City" will become an important research topic in IDiAL and thus, in perspective, the content of various courses of study, initially in the Master's program," says Prof. Wolff. In addition, it will be a topic in the Summer School.
