Introduction

Hamburg is one of the most important business locations in Germany and the host of the ITS World Congress 2021. A growing population, increasing freight traffic, and rising numbers of commuters lead to an increased demand for mobility. In view of spatially and economically limited opportunities, the key to success lies in greater transport efficiency and better capacity utilization of transport routes. Hamburg’s aim is to use the opportunities offered by digitalization for mobility and transport and to demonstrate this transformation in its role as a model city for future, sustainable and integrated mobility and logistics. In order to achieve these goals, the City of Hamburg has developed its own ITS strategy in 2016, thus creating the conditions for further developing Hamburg’s transport system using digital technologies.

​ The City of Hamburg and the Digital Hub Logistic of Hamburg are jointly working to bring together startups, corporates, science, research, and further education in order to stimulate the new process, product, and business model innovations in logistics and mobility.
Throughout a vast series of workshops and events, sustainable and innovative ideas for new mobility and logistics products and services are generated. Supported by its corporate partners, amongst them companies such as Volkswagen, DHL or Beiersdorf, the Digital Hub has become the port of call for logistics and urban mobility innovators in Hamburg and northern Germany.

During the Citython edition the City of Hamburg will collaborate with the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). Every year, more than 6,000 bachelor’s and master’s students and more than 500 doctoral students graduate. UPC fits naturally in the Knowledge Triangle to deliver Higher Education, Research & Technology. Contact with industry has been integrated into their activities and entrepreneurship is supported by different programs that have in mind students, young graduates and faculty members.

Challenges

Increase the level of active mobility in the City of Hamburg

Automated driving in the city of Hamburg

Making Public Spaces Usable

Privately owned vehicles can be considered as the favourite mode of transport going in and out of the city of Hamburg. Purposes for trips range widely between leisure and daily commute but have one thing in common: they create traffic jams or generally slow traffic (especially at peak hours morning and afternoon) along with emissions and noise due to the high amount of cars with mostly just one driver. This calls for solutions that go beyond any restrictions of parking spaces in the city.
Fully automated driving is often seen as the way we travel in the future. Today however there are many challenges to be solved before this vision turns into reality. Autonomous driving needs to be safe and is hence restricted under German governmental law and does not allow vehicles to drive fully autonomous on public roads without special permission. Communication between the car and its surroundings is a crucial element to autonomous driving as well as the coherent decision making based the input of a car´s sensors.
Population and production growth have resulted in a demand for higher capacities of urban transportation systems. Today, traffic is the number one occupier of public space in Hamburg. That has not only led to unsatisfactory conditions in regards to traffic flow and traffic jams but has also decreased the availability of local recreational areas. Making more public space usable again for the residents, therefore, calls for innovation and creative approaches. Help us develop a concept for making more public space usable by interlinking innovative transportation systems with sustainable concepts and attractive social offers!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!

There are no winners in the category “Automated driving in the City of Hamburg,” because the presented solutions don’t reach the minimum score to pass.

Event Agenda

Tuesday, 16th September
16:00-16:25. Welcome speech
• Speech by Henrik Morgen, EIT Urban Mobility
• Speech by Harry Evers, ITS Hamburg 2021
16:25-16:30. Virtual Coffee break
16:30-16:45. Announcement Challenge I
¨Increase the level of active mobility in the City of Hamburg¨
• Speech by Mathias Höhne, ITS Hamburg and City of Hamburg
16:45-17:00. Announcement Challenge II ¨Automated driving in the City of Hamburg¨ • Speech by Prof. Dr Rasmus Rettig, HAW Hamburg
17:00-17:15. Announcement Challenge III
Challenge surprise
• Speech by Yannik Seidenberg, Project Manager EIT Urban Mobility KIC

17:15-17:30. Inspirational Techpill Talk
• Speech by Florian Albert, AVES Reality

17:30-17:45. Q&A

Closure

Sunday, 19th September –> extended until Tuesday 21st
15:00. Registration deadline!

Wednesday, 22nd September
09:00. Announcement of Teams. Start Hacking!

Monday, 27th September ​
10:00-13:00. Individual mentoring session I

Wednesday, 29th September​ ​
10:00-13:00. Individual mentoring session II ​

Thursday, 30th September ​ ​
12:00. Deadline submission of final solutions
(mid-term review form & video).

​ If these two files are not sent, your group will be automatically disqualified. You will not be able to pitch in front of the jury members on Friday, 1 October and therefore you will not be eligible for any of the announced prizes.

​ 16:00. Publication of the final candidates.

Friday, 1st October ​ ​
10:00 – 12:00. Final candidates presentations to the jury members

​ 15:00 – 15:30. Announcement of winners and closure.

Webinar - 16 September 2021

Speakers

Henrik Morgen
Director Innovation Hub North, EIT Urban Mobility
Harry Evers
Managing Director, ITS Hamburg 2021
Mathias Höhne
Desk Officer for ITS and Data Management
Ministry of Transport and Mobility Transition of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Prof. Dr. Rasmus Rettig
Department of Information and Electrical Engineering, HAW Hamburg
Yannik Seidenberg
Yannik Seidenberg, Project Manager EIT Urban Mobility KIC
Florian Albert
Co-Founder, AVES Reality

Mentors

Mathias Höhne
Desk Officer for ITS and Data Management
Ministry of Transport and Mobility Transition of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Josep Ramon Morros
Associate Professor – Expert in Computer Vision and AI for micromobility, UPC
Prof. Dr. Rasmus Rettig
Department of Information and Electrical Engineering, HAW Hamburg
Lluís de la Cruz Llopis
Associate Professor – Director of the Department of Networking Engineering, UPC
Robert Gaycken
Project Manager Conference Programme & KIC EIT Urban Mobility bei ITS Hamburg 2021 GmbH
Dr. Monika Bachofner
Research Funding Manager, Volkswagen Group Innovation

Jury Members

Henrik Morgen
Director Innovation Hub North, EIT Urban Mobility
Harry Evers
Managing Director, ITS Hamburg 2021
Elisa Sayrol
Associate Professor, UPC
Academic Director for EIT Urban Mobility
Dr. Laia Pagés
Executive and Scientific Manager, CARNET

Master of Ceremony

Evelina Emilova Mihaylova
CITYTHON Project Manager, CARNET

Partners of Citython 2021 - Hamburg

This project is funded by EIT Urban Mobility, an initiative of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union. EIT Urban Mobility acts to accelerate positive change on mobility to make urban spaces more liveable. Learn more: eiturbanmobility.eu.