KOCHI:  The city’s quest to become a Smart City got a leg up, with Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute and Cochin Smart Mission Ltd (CSML) on Monday launching the Kochi Smart City Innovation Lab.  Fraunhofer will draw up the blueprint for technically sound and financially viable  projects which will contribute to Kochi’s development as a Smart City of the future.  

Martin Ney, Bonn’s Ambassador to New Delhi, who was here to launch the Innovation Lab, said the German Development Corporation (GIZ)  and  Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry had inked two major pacts  in February this year for developing  Smart Cities in Bhubaneshwar, Coimbatore and Kochi. Under the project, urban basic services, houses and mobility solutions based on  mass transport system will be developed in these cities.  

“KFW on the financial side and GIZ on the technical side are working closely with Fraunhofer. I congratulate Kochi on selecting  Fraunhofer for the initiative. Fraunhofer is known for its expertise in applied research. It bridges the gap between researchers in universities and innovations implemented in industries. The company does it worldwide. It can come out with the best solutions for Kochi by using its  expertise in the long run,” he said.

Germany will provide investments and capacity building related to sustainable urban development in Smart Cities, including improving urban sanitation with waste and waste water management, space planning, social housing, slum modernisation and climate-friendly mobility in urban areas. “ I believe, Germany is an excellent partner for India, Kochi in particular, when it comes to urban planning and  the Smart City Project. Germany can provide historical experience and modern technology which Kochi need,” he said.    

Next week, India and Germany will sign the Climate-Smart City implementation agreement in New Delhi. “The activities planned in Kochi are meant to develop a local climate action plan to support green building and flood- resistant building and support waste management. Again, the agreement will benefit Kochi ,” he said.

A P M Mohammed Hanish, MD, CSML told reporters here as part of expansion and completion of Smart City project, Fraunhofer will provide technical and financial advisories. They will do project preparation and bring out detailed study reports. Of the three proposed  Smart City venues chosen by Germany, Fraunhofer has started functioning in Coimbatore. Within months they will prepare 11 project reports. German KFW has agreed to fund five of these projects.

“In Kochi, we are looking for project studies on inclusive housing, energy efficiency, environmental conservation, disaster management and electric mobility. Using its experts from across the globe, Fraunhofer  will conduct studies and submit project reports. Unlike the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) here, the Fraunhofer report will be technically sound and financially viable. Using these project reports we can approach the Government of India(GOI) and foreign agencies to fund projects here,” he said.

Tendering of the `700 crore worth Integrated Command Control Communication Centre (IC4),   which includes Traffic Management System, Smart Road, Smart School, modernisation of hospitals and solar rooftops as part of CSML, has been completed. The project report and documents works of Fraunhofer will complete by March  2019.   

 Joint    effort 
Germany will provide investments and capacity building related to sustainable urban development in Smart Cities, including improving urban sanitation with waste and waste water management, space planning, social housing, slum modernisation and climate-friendly mobility in urban areas.
Next week, India and Germany will sign the Climate-Smart City implementation agreement in New Delhi
As part of expansion and completion of Smart City project, Fraunhofer will provide technical and financial advisories. They will do project preparation and bring out detailed reports