Living Lab in Catanzaro
The city of Catanzaro took part to the initiative by the Calabria Region promoting “Living labs”, namely research and development actions to innovate local public services though a collaborative process between local public administrations, end users and citizens.
The Living Lab in Catanzaro carries out activities such as:
- Analysis and understanding of the sectoral and technological needs of the final uses;
- Definition of the interactions between the different actors involved;
- Prototyping and customisation of solutions;
- Testing and experimentation of new technologies to meet the identified needs;
- Diffusion of the prototype solutions developed and definition of business plan for their economic sustainability.
Relevant challenges
Within this framework, the city of Catanzaro developed the Citizen's Digital Home project, the City Logistics project (see dedicated pages) and the following projects.
1. Smart Living and Moving for non-self-sufficient elderly in the urban environment - The project aims to ensure the development of assistive devices, systems, and user-friendly applications in fields such as e-health, home automation, telemedicine and smart moving for the elderly people through the creation, experimentation and dissemination of prototypes of Integrated Home Care services. Actions include:
- Construction of network points for listening and orientation of families;
- Improvement of proximity services with the introduction of social telephone services capable of intervening in situations of abandonment and preventing the marginalisation of the elderly people;
- Requalification of home care through reorganising assistance based on the needs of families;
- Creation of a 24-hour home service centre through the use of technological products and of telemedicine.
This innovative model provides a monitoring, assistance and rehabilitation service through telematic support provided remotely by a service centre equipped with remote teams. An integrated platform for tele-monitoring and tele-consultation is also previewed, including hardware and software to support home care workers.
2. Innovation in "Street Art" and in the use of registers of works of art in the urban environment - The project aims to improve the enjoyment of culture and works of art within the city, giving the possibility to the local community to know and connect electronically to the works of art spread throughout the city and its territory. An App will include: a navigator to culture and art heritage in the city and its territory (to be geolocalised by the city and citizens also can add information); the possibility of searching according to criteria such as proximity, style, typology, etc.; material for information on each site; …. The project also includes a platform using blockchain technology that allows to release, archive, consult and exchange documents.
3. Smart treatment and disposal of asbestos and energy efficiency - The project focuses on treatment and disposal of asbestos to promote energy efficiency. Alternatives being studied are:
- In the case of on-site treatment, using new technologies, such as special paints or other systems, for the treatment of non-degraded asbestos, covering it with solar panels, thus allowing the production of clean energy;
- In case of disposal, identification of a suitable place for storage and subsequent treatment, then covering the area with solar panels to produce renewable energy;
- Transforming on site, with the help of new technologies, all waste recovered in the provincial territory through separate collection.
