- Press release as issued by Copenhagen Capacity on behalf of the municipalities of Copenhagen, Albertslund and Frederikssund - 

Copenhagen, May 28, 2014 - In 2013, a corporate team from Cisco visited Copenhagen. Now the team is back again, this time to enter into a partnership with the municipalities of Copenhagen, Albertslund and Frederikssund, which will research and develop tomorrow's digital infrastructure, the Internet of Everything. The goal is to strengthen services for citizens while supporting Copenhagen's climate targets. Cisco has entered into the partnership with the three municipalities because of the clear green profile of these cities. The agreement stipulates the partnership between Cisco and its municipal partners in the Copenhagen region in the development of the Internet of Everything. Besides the partnership with Copenhagen, Cisco is working on similar projects in Barcelona, Amsterdam, Chicago and Hamburg.

Copenhagen is one of the world's most progressive cities and most likely one of the only cities globally that will reach its climate targets by 2025. This is one of the reasons why the global networking giant Cisco is entering into a partnership with Copenhagen, Frederikssund and Albertslund. The cities will thus be in distinguished company with a limited number of cities around the world that are exploiting the opportunities of the Internet of Everything. The agreement is a result of Lord Mayor Frank Jensen's visit to California.

"Copenhagen and the entire metropolitan area are at the forefront of the green agenda. This will be noticed all around the world. Signing an agreement with Cisco to cooperate in the development of future smart cities is not just about the further development of Copenhagen and the surrounding municipalities. It is also about increasing knowledge, investment and jobs throughout the capital region," stated Lord Mayor Frank Jensen.

The agreement between Copenhagen, Albertslund, Frederikssund and Cisco includes a number of technological solutions to improve services for citizens and to help the city reach its goal of CO₂ neutrality by 2025. Internet of Everything strategies will be used with existing solutions and radically new solutions for Albertslund and Copenhagen. The way in which many services, such as outdoor lighting, parking, mobility services, beacons, kiosks, location-based services, sensor-based water defences, physical infrastructure monitoring and controls, and smart energy grid services are developed, validated and scaled will change as they converge onto one network.

Cisco invests in Copenhagen
The partnership also entails that Cisco invests money, time and expertise in the metropolitan area. The intention is that both Copenhagen and Cisco will learn from each other. Together with other municipalities, businesses and knowledge institutions in the metropolitan area, they will develop new products, solutions and opportunities. At the same time, Cisco has announced a global fund of $150 million to help accelerate start-ups and ecosystems around the Internet of Everything.

"The Internet of Everything data revolution now is embraced by Copenhagen, which already is one of Europe's most innovative cities. It has an ambitious green vision and is a perfect setting for a green laboratory. The projects in and around Copenhagen will serve as best practices bringing greater efficiency, cost savings and sustainability that other cities in the world can reproduce. Today, only 1 per cent of all the things that surround us are connected to the network. By connecting the world, we can create $4.9 trillion of economic value to public sectors globally, $3 trillion of which can be realized in municipalities," stated Wim Elfrink, executive vice-president, Industry Solutions and chief globalisation officer, Cisco.

A similar agreement to the one for Copenhagen charter has recently been implemented in Barcelona. The first-phase solutions of the Internet of Everything are fully deployed on the streets of Barcelona. Sensors communicate when waste bins should be emptied and when the city parks need to be watered. Motorists can find available parking spots using an app on their phone. In Barcelona, Internet of Everything-related projects are expected to generate $3.6 billion in economic, social and environmental value over the next decade, including enhancements to urban renewal projects the past few years that already have led to 1,500 new businesses and 44,000 new jobs. 

Lamp posts in Albertslund
One of the projects that Cisco will collaborate on is the DOLL Living Lab in Hersted Industrial Park in Albertslund. Here, lighting, control systems and smart city technologies will be tested on a 1:1 scale by DTU, the Technical University of Denmark.

"We have just been to Barcelona with Cisco to look at their Internet of Everything projects down there. There are some very interesting opportunities for the development of future cities. In Albertslund, we have for some time been preparing for the work with intelligent light, and with the light laboratory in Hersted Industrial Park, we open urban spaces to support the development of technologies that can boost the green transition," stated Mayor Steen Christiansen from Albertslund. After the visit to Barcelona, the local council has decided to develop its vision for a smart city.

New city in Frederikssund based solely on renewable energy
Frederikssund is also part of the partnership, and it is primarily about the creation of the future data network in relation to the new City of Vinge with a new commuter train station near Frederikssund. Mayor John Schmidt Andersen is enthusiastic: "In Frederikssund, we have been working to develop sustainable initiatives for the benefit of citizens and businesses. The new City of Vinge will become Denmark's first fully electric city based solely on renewable energy with up to 20,000 inhabitants, and it is quite natural for us to put Vinge at the disposal for the implementation of future digital infrastructure and Smart City solutions."

The agreement or Memorandum of Understanding between Copenhagen, other stakeholders and Cisco has been signed on May 28, 2014 at the House of Green at "Industriens Hus" in Copenhagen.

Supporting resources

• Visit the City of Hamburg virtually at http://www.hamburg.de
• Cisco's view of the Internet of Everything
• Cisco's view of the Internet of Things
• Cisco white paper on the Internet of Everything "Value at Stake"
• Cisco white paper: "The Internet of Everything; How More Relevant and Valuable Connections Will Change the World"
• Read more about Cisco Smart+Connected Communities