The City of Bruges, Belgium, is the latest city to join the Open & Agile Smart Cities network (OASC).
Bruges is already the fifth Belgian city to join OASC following Antwerp, Brussels Region, Ghent and Leuven and the latest partner to unite forces in our ever-growing network of smart cities and communities, which now boasts 156 members across the world.
With a number of pilot projects well underway, Bruges is on the forefront of creating digital solutions focused on responsible resource management and improving air quality.
These initiatives include smart water meters to monitor water usage and reduce waste and the deployment of smart sensors mapping air quality and noise in real time. In collaboration with the renowned research centre and OASC founding member, imec, the City of Bruges has developed an urban digital twin. A digital urban twin is a digital 3D replica of the city integrating various data sources that enable the city to generate live simulations and evaluate the real-time impact of initiatives such as traffic control and other mobility measures.
OASC: A Worldwide Network of Cities & Communities
Bruges’ incoming membership further anchors the use of open standards and data in the City of Bruges. By joining OASC, the Belgian city participates in a global platform for knowledge exchange and networking around smart cities and digital transformation. Being part of the OASC network reinforces the ambition of Bruges to become a frontrunner in the field of smart technological applications.
The City of Bruges has used the principle of open standards and open data in these smart city projects. Among other benefits, open data offers opportunities for entrepreneurs and private firms to readily access a pool of valuable data and quickly develop innovative applications.
Member of City Council, Ms Minou Esquenet, said:
“Smart City projects also give us the opportunity to collect a lot of valuable – and often – real-time data. We will open various available data sources in Bruges and bring them together in one dashboard. Due to all the work we have done, we have decided to join Open & Agile Smart Cities. This is a global network of cities with the common goal to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants through innovation and technology. OASC strives to create a global marketplace for smart data and services tailored to the needs of cities. We want to work hard to enable Bruges to grow into a truly smart city, and with the help of the right technology, make it an even more pleasant place to work and live.”
Open & Agile Smart Cities brings together over 150 cities across 31 countries on four continents. All member cities subscribe to the OASC Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms, a set of open APIs, standards, and shared data models to allow cities to remain agile and digital solutions to scale across borders.
More information
Press release by City of Bruges (in Dutch): Link