Proposal for a chemical safety directive for workers' protection is among the tasks requested from the Commission.
In the latest "Smart Cities" ranking by Bitkom, Oberhausen, a major city in Germany, has moved up from 52nd to 57th position, showing signs of progress in its digital transformation journey. However, the city still lags behind some of its neighbours in the Ruhr region.
Among the ten largest cities in the Ruhr region, Oberhausen ranks 7th, with Mülheim, Recklinghausen, and Bottrop performing worse. Despite this improvement, Essen ranks 27th, Gelsenkirchen ranks 34th, Herne ranks 38th, and Duisburg ranks 47th in the same ranking.
Oberhausen's participation in the federal funding program "Model Project Smart City" seems to be contributing to its progress. The city's digitalization concept for schools and the "Digital Competence" initiative have also played a significant role in its improved ranking. This initiative includes digital offers for seniors, aiming to bridge the digital divide in the community.
The "Smart City Index" annually examines the progress or setbacks in the digitization of major German cities in five areas: digital administration, IT infrastructure in the city, intelligent energy and environmental solutions, eco-friendly mobility, and digital society. In the IT and Communication category, Oberhausen faces the most significant setback, dropping 18 places to rank 72nd out of 81 cities.
Maximilian Janetzki, the economic policy spokesperson of the SPD fraction, acknowledges the improvement but warns against complacency. He suggests that Oberhausen should focus on improving areas where it is not well-positioned, using the successful examples of Dortmund, Bochum, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, and Herne as inspiration.
The city has made significant strides in digitizing the city hall's work, moving from 64th to 58th place. However, the most significant improvement for Oberhausen is in the "Society and Education" category, where it ranks 42nd nationwide. The digital training for teachers and administrative staff, and digital offers for seniors, are key components of the "Digital Competence" initiative.
The Ruhr region, which includes Oberhausen, can do much better and faster in digitization, as demonstrated by Dortmund and Bochum's performance. Janetzki emphasizes that Oberhausen should strive to catch up with its neighbouring cities to fully reap the benefits of a smart city.
- The city's digitalization efforts, such as its participation in the federal funding program "Model Project Smart City" and the "Digital Competence" initiative, have shown progress in areas like digital society and education, but Oberhausen still lags behind some of its neighbors like Dortmund and Bochum in the Ruhr region, particularly in the IT and Communication category.
- To fully reap the benefits of a smart city and match the pace of digitization in neighboring cities like Dortmund and Bochum, Oberhausen should Focus on the areas where it performs less efficiently, including the IT and Communication sector, using the successful examples of its neighbors as inspiration.
