Kaufbeuren in the digital frenzy: Focus on students and smart city!

Kaufbeuren in the digital frenzy: Focus on students and smart city!

In the city of Kaufbeuren, everything revolves around the digital transformation and preparation for the smart city of the future! On December 3, 2024, Alexander Uhrle, the responsible representative for the digital development of the city, presented the results of his activities and progress in a report before the administration and committee members. The digital landscape forces municipalities, such as Kaufbeuren, to adapt, because development is progressing rapidly. Digital transformation not only calls for technical expertise, but also a rethinking and an active approach to administration and citizens, as Uhrle emphasized in his report, while he explained the greatest challenges and perspectives for the future.

successful workshops and innovative approaches

Recently, several workshops at the Jörg Lederer School and the Sophie-La-Roche-Realschule took place, in which students had the opportunity to discuss digital issues and in particular about the use of artificial intelligence. During these 90-minute workshops, many students recognized the potential of digitization in their everyday school life, but the use of AI among teachers and students is still low, as the surveys showed. For example, only a third of the students use artificial intelligence, and only 15 % do this regularly. The Buron app, a municipal application, only achieved 20 % awareness among the students, which shows the need for a better digital presentation and a targeted approach to the young generation, as We-Sind-kaufbeuren.de reported.

Even in the area of the Smart City, Kaufbeuren is not alone. According to the Fraunhofer Iese, many municipalities are currently required to find their individual digital solutions, since standard approaches are often not sufficient. The use of participatory procedures, such as citizen participation and co-creation, can be crucial here. Such methods promote the involvement of citizens in the development process and ensure that the specific needs of everyone involved are taken into account. This is not only relevant for Kaufbeuren, but also for other cities that want to successfully implement their own smart city strategy, such as ies.fraunhofer.de