Living in Karlsruhe

Digitalization in action

Digital change can only succeed if it is thought of holistically. To achieve this, it is important that digitalization is perceived by society as an opportunity that improves everyone’s lives.

This is precisely the approach that Karlsruhe takes: making digitialization tangible for its citizens.

For example, everyone in the fan-shaped city is familiar with the EVA shuttles, three autonomous minibuses that operate in the Weiherfeld-Dammerstock district. They are part of the Test Area for Autonomous Driving Baden-Württemberg – a living lab for mobility concepts that provides insights into the individual and public transportation of the future. As part of the state’s digitalization strategy, the Ministry of Science will, in future, fund the “Artificial Intelligence” Living Lab at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), while the Karlsruhe Real Lab for Sustainable Climate Protection (KARLA) will focus on the climate and conduct research into solutions on site.

Meanwhile, the “Robotic Artificial Intelligence” real-world laboratory at KIT makes artificial intelligence tangible for people through a variety of experiments and different real-life situations, from day care centers to schools, museums, libraries and hospitals.

In other areas, the focus is also on people. Subscribing to the concept of open government, the city of Karlsruhe has set itself the goal of making government and public administrative actions more transparent and comprehensible. The participation portal actively involves citizens in projects and decisions. Anyone who discovers problems within the city, such as potholes or broken street lamps, can use KA-Feedback to report problems easily via a smartphone app.

Meanwhile, easy access to administrative services is provided not only by the digital citizens’ office of the city of Karlsruhe, but also by the digital@KA project. Fitting the requirements of a smart city, the innovative multifunctional app combines municipal citizen services as well as services from the areas of business, science, culture and mobility. For example, anyone who wants to visit a museum can use the app to not only find out about opening hours, but also buy an entry ticket directly and book suitable mobility services (public transport, bike or car sharing) – all conveniently in one app with just one login.