The Smart City Lab Basel connects partners with a community and provides a space for testing ideas, prototypes and services in the areas of logistics, mobility and more. The lab allows experts and interested members of the public to experience smart solutions for a circular economy.

According to current projections, Switzerland’s population will reach around ten million by 2045, with the majority living in large cities. This will pose new challenges for urban centres. Even today, cities are responsible for two-thirds of the country’s total energy consumption and also produce about 80% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Intelligent solutions are needed here: one proposition is the 'smart city' concept.

The Smart City Lab Basel is a platform connecting actors from industry, academia, administration and the public, ultimately facilitating an exchange of ideas spurring new ideas and projects for ‘a smart Switzerland of tomorrow’. These endeavours are supported by technical and innovation experts. The lab is a joint initiative by SBB and the Canton of Basel-Stadt. It is located on the Wolf site close to Basel SBB station and approximately 160,000 square metres are currently available for use.

The lab provides this area to test prototypes in the areas of logistics and mobility, including roof space, facades and traffic areas. It also provides event space on request.

Anyone can submit a project idea and is given support in facilitation if the project is approved.

Through the Circular Cities Switzerland project, Circle Economy and ECOS guided municipal officials and local businesses through a Circle City Scan. One of the pilot projects recommended for the construction sector was Wolf Area as a smart and circular living lab. The recommendation was that the idea of a smart lab could be expanded to the establishment of a 'circular living lab', allowing the testing of innovative circular approaches to construction as well as for the consumption and recycling behaviours of the Wolf residents. Through the development of circular solutions to tendered challenges, stronger synergies between companies, sectors, and thematic areas can be developed: for example, between local agriculture, energy, construction, and manufacturing activities.

Currently, there are almost 30 companies working on projects at the lab and counts with multiple partners. The advent of the Smart City Lab has spurred numerous projects: Enuu, a tiny (but sheltered) vehicle that minimises pollution, upVolt, which develops second-life electricity storage devices with used batteries and Naturlich Unverpackt, a local and plastic-free shop, among them.

Photo on Smart City Lab Basel website