Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAOUrban systems in interaction with people, technology and the space they occupy
Our cities will change profoundly in the decades to come. They must not only overcome the challenge of steadily rising populations, but also deal with climate change, scarcity of resources, demographic change and technological transformation. For these reasons, cities and towns represent the most important field for innovative solutions and intelligent concepts for sustainable development, combining to serve as one of the largest markets and a field that demands our greatest attention.
Urban systems are important not only in large cities; they also address the close interaction of people, technology and space in today’s polycentric systems of cities and their immediate surroundings. Walls used to demarcate city limits; firewalls seem to serve the same purpose today. The engineers of urban systems must manage the complexity and dynamics at the interface between government administration, business and the general public.
Our objective is to envision pioneering living spaces and their basic functions, from public administration to infrastructures, and to stimulate innovative strength, efficiency and sustainability. Fraunhofer IAO helps municipalities, public utilities and private companies create urban systems and processes in an agile, flexible manner. In this context, we combine our expertise in technology with the latest scientific findings on organization and spatial development.
Our key research areas are:
- Municipal digitalization strategies and processes
- Urban utilities and logistics solutions
- Intelligent urban districts and surroundings
- Co-creative innovation partnerships and strategies
- Data-based business models and processes in urban systems
- Shaping user behavior and preferences
- Resilient infrastructures and public safety