Connecting people, cities, regions and data with sustainable digital networks.

How can we tackle challenges such as rising populations, increasing traffic and the expectations of citizens and the economy with sustainable and future-proof solutions for safe, environmentally friendly, liveable cities and regions?

Smart cities are the answer. A digital infrastructure ensures the intelligent connection of data, technologies and people. Ideally, the new solutions benefit the public sector, the environment, citizens and the business community. Since every city and every region has a different starting position, there are no patent remedies for digitalisation in the public sphere.

One success factor, however, is to integrate different perspectives, to understand needs as precisely as possible and to use the creativity of everyone involved. To help cities in the digitisation process Deutsche Telekom offers Co-Creation for Cities, with the aim to provide cities with a guideline on how to tackle the challenges that come with digital transformation.

Co-Creation for Cities is developed based on design thinking methods. It means developing solutions or using existing ones together with all parties involved. In cities and regions, the involved parties can be citizens, but also suppliers and interest groups. The more people that are on board, the easier it is to consider possible concerns from the start. This increases joint identification with the finished “product”. In addition, early cooperation can also minimise friction losses and costs.

Co-creation involves using a working method with which designers will be familiar. The five steps to Co-Creation for Smart City are:

• Understand and explore: what are the core challenges of citizens and administrations?

• Define the challenge: which are the most important challenges we need to focus on first?

• Ideation: what are the most promising solutions and problem-solving approaches?

• Prototyping and testing: does an idea work? How can it be optimised?

• Implementation: how to bring a solution to life.

Deutsche Telekom can support cities in all co-creation phases. With many years of experience in the application of the methods, Deutsche Telekom can contribute further competencies in research, design, production of prototypes, consulting with regard to cooperation and selection of the right provider, as well as in securing the technical feasibility.

In this video series you will be introduced to the co-creation approach from Deutsche Telekom, the main benefits of it, and how this method can help your city. Additionally, Telekom has designed three different co-creation offers – small, medium and large – that are tailored to fit your city’s needs.

Deutsche Telekom’s experience and proven methods can drive the changes in your city to truly make it a better place in which to live.