Smart city: See why NRW was named the world's best

13.12.2024

3 min read

Etteln in Paderborn County has fewer than 1,900 residents. Yet this village beat out the metropolis of Hong Kong, with over 7.5 million inhabitants, to receive the award for best Smart City from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

The term “Smart City” suggests an urban setting. But that’s not necessarily the case. Etteln, a district of Borchen in Paderborn County, is indeed the world’s best Smart City. At least, that’s the opinion of the world’s largest engineering association for electrical engineering and computer science (IEEE), headquartered in Pattaya, Thailand.

The association, which boasts over 400,000 engineers, technicians, and natural scientists worldwide, was reportedly impressed by the application from Etteln in the Altenautal, which was submitted in June 2024.

Village Car Sharing, IT Courses, and Fiber Optics for All

The village boasts its own apps for ride-sharing and classifieds, a touchscreen for the latest news, and digital literacy courses offered by volunteers. Even the filling of the clothing donation bin is digitally monitored, reports the WDR. According to the report, Etteln began years ago to make digitalization a core aspect of the village’s identity.

To achieve this, the village community took matters into their own hands to lay 30 kilometers of fiber optic cable. 60 people volunteered over 3,000 hours to make this happen. Additionally, there is a free-to-book electric village car, affectionately named the “ettCar,” an electric cargo bike, and a shared environmental monitoring station.

“I am very proud of what we have accomplished together with the many volunteers in the village, as well as with the help of funding projects,” quotes the WDR Ulrich Ahle, who has been the village head for ten years and was instrumental in initiating the “Smart City” Etteln. As a full-time IT expert and manager, he brings a wealth of personal knowledge to the table.

Ready to Share Smart City Expertise

The “Digitaler Dorfzwilling” project has just gone live, aiming to detect and warn of floods and other hazards in good time. Based on improved forecasts for potential flooding, the village has already revised the concept for a new development area.

Etteln could draw on funds from the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which benefit the improvement of quality of life in rural areas. Now, Etteln wants to share its gained experiences with other districts of the municipality of Borchen and with villages across the country.

“Most of the solutions are available free of license costs, and we’re happy to help,” says local councilor Ahle, adding: “We’ve already had dozens of other municipalities visit us.”

Source title image: Adobe Stock / Anastasiia