The city of Aveiro is committed to developing a technological urban center of reference at European level, by promoting the development of innovative solutions, through the creation of the first Living Lab of the city, placed in the city center.
Aveiro’s Living Lab is composed of an advanced communications infrastructure and an innovative urban platform that, together, allow the provision of an open and large-scale technological laboratory in the city at the service of researchers, digital industries, startups, scaleups, R&D centers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders interested in developing, testing or demonstrating concepts, products or services.
The Living Lab infrastructure aims to be an authentic space for testing innovative solutions, where multiple stakeholders collaborate in the development, validation and testing of novel technologies and services in a real context.
Based on the infrastructure of the Aveiro Tech City Living Lab, which includes, among the other hardware, a 5G network, smart city sensors and a fiber infrastructure, the city of Aveiro launched two editions of the Aveiro Urban Challenges and Aveiro 5G Challenges.
- Aveiro 5G Challenges were launched in partnership with Altice Labs, Telecommunications Institute and the University of Aveiro; “Aveiro 5G Challenges” award new solutions and products based on the use of 5G technology. In the “Aveiro testbed”, startups, scaleups and R&D centers are able to develop and work on innovative solutions, with technical support and mentoring sessions. 2 editions programmed: the 3 winners of each edition are awarded with 25.000,00€ each and the remaining finalists will have financial support of 2.000,00€; 2 editions were already launched:
§ 2020 First Edition awarded: Live Electric Tours (PT), Biometrica (IT) and EVA Drones (UK), counting 10 Finalists from different countries (among the others: PT, Brazil, Mexico, Uk, Italy, Spain, Russia).
§ 2021 Second Edition: the call has been launched and the deadline for applications is March 2021.
- Aveiro Urban Challenges are open to Startups, Scaleups and R&D Institutions, able to address and provide solutions to urban contemporary issues, affecting the community. The challenges identified by project’s stakeholders are:
- Augmented Reality (AR) for maintenance of equipment and networks;
- Bicycle powered by hydrogen fuel cells;
- Vehicle allocation optimization, based on ecological footprint and operating cost criteria; d) Smart energy networks;
- Bio-waste selective collection solutions.
Each challenge awards the 5 finalists with 20.000,00€ each.
§ 2020 Edition - the first edition of Aveiro Urban Challenges awarded the following 5 Winners:
o Klugit (PT) |operating in the domain of Smart Grids Solutions | Stakeholder: EDP
o Apria Systems (ES) | operating in the domain of Hydrogen Bicycles | Stakeholder: GALP Gás Natural Distribuição
o Allbesmart (PT) | operating in the domain of Augmented reality applications for water distribution infrastructures | Stakeholder: ADRA
o Mosaic Factory (ES) | Operating in the domain of Bus fleets’ smart management | Stakeholder: Transdev
o 2bConnect (PT) | operating in the domain of Smart Bio Waste collection | Stakeholder: VEOLIA
§ 2021 Edition – the call has been launched and the deadline for applications is March 2021.