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  • Future Insight
    • Jan 16, 2023
    • 4 min read

Future Insight and the municipality of Rotterdam start developing an OUP with digital twin


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1/16/2023

Future Insight and the municipality of Rotterdam start developing a unique Open Urban Platform with Digital Twin

The Municipality of Rotterdam and software supplier Future Insight are joining forces to develop a unique Open Urban Platform. After an intensive period, Future Insight, together with partner Capgemini, emerged as the winning party from the European tender process for the development, launch, exploitation and further development of the Open Urban Platform with Digital Twin. Both parties enter into an agreement for the next ten years.


Digital world inextricably linked to reality

In addition to the physical reality in which we find ourselves every day, we are dealing with a new, digital reality. A reality in which digitization and data play a major role and which are inextricably linked to social and physical reality. The Municipality of Rotterdam is investigating the opportunities and threats of digitization for the new reality of the city, now and in the future. This involves looking at the role and needs of residents, entrepreneurs, visitors and its own wishes and tasks. Roland van der Heijden, municipal program manager for the Digital City, is very much looking forward to a great collaboration. "We can now start making the Rotterdam of tomorrow together.


Digital ecosystem lends a helping hand

The municipality faces major challenges, such as; sustainability, climate change, inclusiveness, mobility and housing. Data are very important raw materials for the city of tomorrow.

A digital ecosystem in which data can flow between all participants and new applications can be developed and implemented for the benefit of these tasks offers a helping hand. This requires a digital infrastructure based on new insights and technologies and new forms of collaboration. The Open Urban Platform will be the central element in the development of the digital infrastructure. A place for residents, companies and institutions where everyone can come together to meet each other.


Smart applications and services thanks to 3D model with real-time data

Imagine a 3D model of the whole of Rotterdam. It contains all fixed physical objects, such as houses, trees, benches, etc. In the Open Urban Platform, this 3D model is supplemented with 'live' (i.e. real-time) data, so that you can see how the city functions: is the garbage can full, how many cars drive through my street and what is the air quality like? This will soon provide all Rotterdammers, companies and institutions with a basis for making use of all kinds of smart applications and services.


In the Digital Twin you can see, for example, whether there is space in a parking lot. You can go through a permit process more quickly because you can immediately see what is and what is not allowed. But also, for example - before a pole goes into the ground - experience what that new residential tower does with your sunlight.

All these smart applications will contribute to a more beautiful, liveable, resilient and resilient Rotterdam.


To make this possible, Rotterdam is starting to develop an Open Urban Platform (OUP) with the Zwolle-based company Future Insight. This is the underlying digital infrastructure that ensures that we in Rotterdam are digitally connected and can exchange data from a shared reality (the Digital Twin) of Rotterdam. The platform is powered by various data sources and makes it possible to share data.

The platform will be built up and rolled out step by step over the coming years. In addition, Future Insight and the municipality of Rotterdam will enter into discussions with other organizations within and outside the municipality of Rotterdam to make the platform a success.

Growing together

The aim is to work with as many parties as possible from the start on the growth of the Open Urban Platform. The parties are therefore calling on other municipalities and governments, companies and other parties to join, so that the ecosystem will have an increasingly positive impact.


Open data standards

The Open Urban Platform is fully developed with flexible technical components (MIMs) that are connected to each other by means of established open interfaces (PPIs). This makes the platform very flexible, secure, open and scalable. Suppliers and producers of both data and software services can join if they also use this open approach and standards. In this way, all kinds of smart future tools can be linked, minimizing the risk of vendor lock-in.


Safety and reliability are paramount

It goes without saying that it is very important that the data is well protected and that there is a digital living environment where people feel at home. Trust is important here. Confidence in the infrastructure offered, but also of the participants in each other. That is why the municipality strives for responsible exploitation. This means that an independent Governance Board will be set up to supervise this responsible operation. This mainly concerns dealing with ethical and privacy-sensitive matters.



END OF PRESS RELEASE

About Future Insight

Future Insight is a fast-growing software supplier that is active nationally and internationally. The software company develops the Clearly.Suite, which also includes the Open Urban Platform. With the Clearly.Suite, Future Insight serves its customers in the field of 3D city models, complex BIM issues and optimal collaboration within infrastructure projects. With clients such as the Municipality of Rotterdam, the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and builders such as Heijmans and Strukton, Future Insight has sizeable clients. Which fits the ambitions and objectives of the company, namely the development and delivery of innovative, reliable and scalable software.


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Note to editors:

For more information about this press release, please contact

Dennis Chest, Future InsightPhone number +31(6)30 52 66 21 or [email protected].


Roland van der Heijden, Municipality of Rotterdam



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