5G project is an important impetus for Hanover's Smart City

© hannoverimpuls GmbH

The abbreviation "5GAPS" stands for "5G Access to Public Spaces". The long-term goal of the project is to recreate Hannover digitally and in real time in a multi-dimensional spatio-temporal coordinate system. This will create a dynamic digital twin, so to speak, of urban outdoor areas and indoor areas in buildings or commercial halls.

Digital image of the city to enable new mobile-based services.

MayorBelit Onay,Managing Director DorisPetersen fromthe business development agency hannoverimpuls, the CEO of Deutsche Messe AG, Dr. Jochen Köckler, and Professor MonikaSester from theInstitute of Cartography and Geoinformatics,representing Leibniz University and Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, gave the go-ahead at a press conference this Monday (February 14).

Using and managing public spaces more intelligently

The virtual digital twin maps the environment in real time and predicts changes in status using learning algorithms. The data platform can be used in a variety of ways in the future: for example, for the high-precision operation of autonomous vehicles or for localizing and tracking goods. The platform can support navigation in buildings, optimize production processes, visualize planning or even be helpful in reserving parking spaces for sales booths or moving vans. Tourist offers such as adventure tours through historic Hanover or the Herrenhausen Gardens are conceivable. Citizens, companies, logistics companies, transport service providers, planning offices, the city administration and also security forces such as the fire department are all set to benefit.

The range of applications for this idea is almost endless. Some applications - such as controlling a machine - only require three-dimensional coordinates and data on the current state of the environment. Other applications expand the perception of reality by adding location-based digital images and superimposing them on reality. This augmented reality requires a smartphone, tablet or appropriate glasses. The digital twin should be openly accessible and have interfaces for developers from the start-up scene, for established companies and for research.

For Lord MayorBelit Onay, the projectisa boost for Hanover's Smart City: "The development and expansion of digital infrastructure is an important location factor. Together with our strong network, we want to test the possibilities of the key 5G technology on site. The funding project will enable the state capital to further expand its expertise in digital urban development. This will benefit business, science and the people of Hanover."

Trade fair as a real laboratory for an ambitious project

The first step will be to digitally reproduce parts of the exhibition grounds in order to gather experience, develop the software for the digital twin and test applications. If successful, the digital replication of the first parts of Hanover will follow in later steps.Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG,expressly welcomes the fact that the trade fair will play a pioneering role as a testing ground for 5GAPS. "As a partner from the very beginning, we are delighted to be able to provide the real-world laboratory for this ambitious project with the infrastructure of the exhibition grounds and our private 5G campus network. As of today, we have equipped a total of six halls, all roads, all parking lots and the entire outdoor area on our site with Deutsche Telekom's 5G standard. The rest of the exhibition grounds, including all halls and buildings, will be successively connected to the super-fast generation of mobile communications. Innovative applications involving science, business and public administration are therefore a perfect fit for our 5G Smart Venue," emphasizes Köckler.

Universities are key drivers

Themain drivers of theprojectare the universities in Hanover. Leibniz Universität Hannover is represented by various research institutes, including L3S, Geodesy and Information Systems. Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts and the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering (IESE) from Kaiserslautern are also involved. "We are contributing our research and experience in the dynamic mapping of the environment to the project. This will enable us to create a real-world laboratory for the benefit of citizens in order to test more flexible management and use of spaces," says Prof.Monika Sesterv fromthe Institute of Cartography and Geoinformatics.

Strengthening the digital sector locally

Doris Petersen fromthe business development agencyhannoverimpul seesa central strengthening of the local digital industry: "5G is the ticket for new technologies and digital services in the Hannover Region and makes the location fit for the future. The business development team is working at full steam on building a community with 5G programming expertise in order to create substantial added value for everyone in the business location," emphasizes Petersen.

Federal government provides four million euros in funding

The Hanover 5GAPS initiative is backed by federal funding amounting to four million euros. The city of Hanover, hannoverimpuls, Deutsche Messe AG and companies from Hanover took part in a 5G innovation competition organized by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) and submitted a project application in August 2020. The application was successful. The BMDV recently approved the funding retroactively to January 1, 2022. 70 other cities and regions took part in the competition alongside Hanover and developed innovative concepts for 5G applications and business models. Around 50 projects were selected across Germany, which will now be implemented with financial support from the federal government. Hanover is one of them. The 5GAPS project will run until December 31, 2024.