Following the approval of an EU grant under the Operational programme Competitiveness and Cohesion in March 2020, CEKOM – the Competence Centre for Smart Cities started its operation.

The Competence Centre for Smart Cities implies a partnership in an innovative cluster that connects economic operators and research institutions included in research and development projects in smart cities. The goal is to address the challenges that cities face, such as transport, energy, ecology, infrastructure, resource management …

The competence centres (CEKOM) form part of the innovative infrastructure of the Republic of Croatia and represent one of the tools aimed at strengthening the innovative value chain and encouraging innovation in the business sector and connecting it with scientific research institutions. Their main task is to encourage effective cooperation between the private, public and scientific research sectors in order to strengthen the innovative potential of the economy and harmonise strategic research and development plans with the needs of the economy.

36 innovative solutions for products or technologies that should make everyday life in cities easier

20 partners in cooperation devised 6 main development projects which, over 3 years while the project will last, will realise 36 innovative solutions for products or technologies that should facilitate everyday life in our cities:

• SMART CITY SURINMO – Optimization of traffic flows in conditions of low-carbon mobility and development of models for central monitoring, analysis and sharing of key traffic information
• SMART CITY MODESTY – Real-time data collection in order to obtain the most relevant data sample for research purposes
• SMART CITY LIVING – Direct connection with citizens and life in the city and the movement of residents and visitors. The project includes activities related to improving the quality of life
• SMART CITY ENERGY AND ENVIROMENT – A platform for planning and management of energy efficiency, public lighting and sustainable environment and waste management
• SMART CITY CONNECTED TRAFFIC – Establishment of an integrated decision support system in urban transport and urban mobility. It ensures the sustainability of the urban transport system by establishing more quality solutions
• SMART CITY 4DII – More efficient infrastructure management in order to reduce costs, attract investment and provide the best possible service to its customers

In the city of Rijeka products will be developed up to the level of readiness for commercialisation as pilot projects, which will contribute to the development of Rijeka as a smart city and make the life of its inhabitants better and more comfortable.

The project implies a systematic and innovative approach to city development, its resources, processes and services management with the help of new technologies, whereby improving the quality of life of citizens and visitors and enabling intelligent decision-making and management processes, as well as improving its efficiency in terms of planning and achieving savings. In addition to making optimal use of resources, the “smart city” at the same time encourages citizens, communities, scientific and research institutes and entrepreneurs to use the data collected, thus increasing the possibility of participation in identifying problems and looking for solutions.

Partnership between economic operators and research institutes in a project worth almost 150 million

The project brings together 20 partners – 17 companies and 3 research institutes.

Partners participating in the Competence Center for Smart Cities in Rijeka are Smart RI, the University of Rijeka, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Hrvatski Telekom, Combis, Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar, 3tCable, Allarm Automatika, Elektrokovina Plus, Energo, Exevio, the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Opatija, IOLAP Inc., utility company Vodovod i kanalizacija, Kreativni odjel, Faculty of Maritime Studies, Rijeka, Rijeka promet, Apsolon, Smart Sense, SmartIS

The lead partner and applicant of the CEKOM project is Smart RI

Smart RI is a company owned by the City of Rijeka, created with the aim of managing the Competence Centre for smart cities, i.e. managing an innovative cluster in order to connect economic operators and research institutions in research and development projects in smart cities and thus contribute to solving the challenges that cities encounter, (transport, energy, ecology, and 53 other fields).

Smart RI d.o.o. is the lead partner and applicant of the CEKOM project in response to a call published by the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts for the award of an EU grant under the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion for Support to the Development of Competence Centres.

The total project value amounts to HRK 149,631,384.15. The awarded grant amounts to HRK 95,357,525.75. The project partners participate with HRK 54,273,858.40.

The following are the strategic goals of the Competence Centre for Smart Cities:

• The development of new knowledge, initiating and supporting long-term research cooperation between science and industry in the most complex research
• Positioning the city of Rijeka as a test platform for testing the concept while ensuring the participation of the most technologically advanced companies in the Republic of Croatia
• Strengthening the position of Rijeka and Croatia as a development centre, and as an optimal location for long-term research projects

The CEKOM project in Rijeka will be a testing and demonstration centre for smart technologies, where pilot projects will be implemented with city administration and citizens in order to improve products and / or services to the level of readiness for commercialisation. This context of an urban laboratory will be most visible to citizens and Rijeka visitors, where for the first time they will have the opportunity to actively participate in the application and development of new technologies.

The long-term strategy of the City of Rijeka in the context of smart cities is also manifested by linking the results of CEKOM activities with other city projects such as the Torpedo technology park or the future project relating to the reconstruction of the energy plant in the former paper mill in Rijeka and the connection with the newly set up Centre of Artificial Intelligence of the University of Rijeka.

Learn more about the activity of the Competence Centre for Smart Cities on the website of the Smart RI company .