The Nordic Smart City Challenge is an initiative run by the Nordic Smart City Network and PUBLIC, supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers, inviting startups with brilliant new ideas to present and pitch innovative solutions that will address Nordic cross-regional urban challenges as we transition to a ‘new normal’ post COVID-19.

The Nordic Smart City Challenge is part of Nordic Smart City Days, launched in collaboration between Nordic Edge and PUBLIC, which is taking place on 18th and 19th February 2021. This new event is aimed at giving Nordic urban tech startups the opportunity to come together, network and meet public customers and investors.

The Nordic Smart Cities Challenge is looking for innovators providing technology solutions in the following three challenges. We welcome all relevant applications from startups, and are particularly interested in solutions addressing the areas listed in the sub-categories. Solutions that span more than one challenge are welcomed. To submit an application startups must complete the application form and attach a video of their pitch. We estimate that the application process should not take more than half an hour.

Urban areas need to maintain and further develop new places where citizens can exercise safely and enjoy an active lifestyle. Designing new technologies to enable citizens to be active, healthy and safe are key for developing resilient cities. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the importance of healthy and active lives for elderly and vulnerable citizens is more important than ever. All solutions should have a high level of data protection and meet regulatory standards.

We are particularly interested in solutions addressing the following:

• Unlock data from personal activity trackers, focusing particularly on school children and the elderly, to promote individual health
• Measurement of health parameters of participants to track impact of preventative health interventions
• Combine data from different sources to inform organisation of healthcare on a municipal level

Data and technology can help cities focus their resources where they are most needed and inform citizen interactions with public space. Strategic urban planning needs to reflect the positive impacts of green infrastructure and new foodscapes on the climate and the health and wellbeing of citizens. Planning must also incorporate valuable insights from citizens’ crowdsourced data about their own health and environmental conditions. Engaging citizens and local communities throughout this process will allow them to influence the development of urban space, as well as improving data literacy among the population.

We are particularly interested in solutions addressing the following:

• Digital participatory tools to support urban planning, green infrastructure, and scalable green solutions for healthy neighbourhoods
• Technology solutions addressing the consumption and distribution challenges of sustainable urban foodscapes – Tools combining data sources (e.g. IoT, wearables and city-level data) to produce insights for local municipalities
• Solutions improving data literacy among citizens through data visualisation and simulation of needs of the cities and residents

With many countries having implemented lockdowns and other restrictions due to Covid-19, city authorities in particular have faced the challenge of providing users real-time transport and pollution information. Without this information, cities cannot offer their inhabitants vital infrastructure and safety measures that underpin citizens’ mobility. To guarantee the effective management of public and private transport systems, supply chains and logistics, now and in the future, city authorities must look at the opportunities that technology presents to solve problems that emerge when facing health-related challenges like Covid-19.

We are particularly interested in solutions addressing the following:

• Low-cost, mobile pollution sensors
• Evaluate the effectiveness of pollution-prevention solutions and strategies
• Sustainable parking solutions
• Control traffic flow
• Monitor low-carbon transport modes (e.g. public transport, cycling and walking)

The Nordic Smart City Challenge Pitch Event will take place virtually on 18th February – the first day of the Nordic Smart City Days. Selected startups will be invited to pitch their solution to a panel of judges who will decide on a winning startup for each of the three challenges.

The winning startups will receive mentoring from key individuals in the Nordic Smart City Network and will be fast-tracked to the Nordic Fund Event on the 19th February, where they will have the opportunity to pitch their solution and have 1-2-1 meetings with investors. Winning solutions will also be promoted on NordicBaltic.Tech and across PUBLIC’s, the Nordic Council of Minister’s and the Nordic Smart City Network’s channels.