Smart Border Region: Flensburg, Schleswig-Flensburg and Nordfriesland

Digitalisation as an opportunity to overcome borders and create sustainable solutions for the future – that is what drives the Smart Border Region between the Seas. The city of Flensburg and the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Nordfriesland joined forces in 2020, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, and are working together on digital transformation. Even though the pandemic has posed enormous challenges for all sections of society, it has also been a catalyst, says Malte Zinke, managing director of the digital agency Smarte Grenzregion GmbH: “At the same time, the pandemic was a driving force; quick solutions had to be found. All of a sudden, things that had seemed impossible for a long time were suddenly possible, especially in terms of digitalisation. The challenges do not stop at the borders of the local authorities and we are best placed to tackle them together.”

Cities and municipalities are facing major challenges – from climate change to the provision of public services. Energy production and consumption must be rethought, and the transport transition must also be tackled in rural areas, says Zinke. Demographic change is not only reflected in higher demands on the healthcare system – there is often a lack of skilled workers, which further exacerbates socio-political changes.

“We need to be well prepared for these challenges. The digital transformation offers promising opportunities in this regard,” says Malte Zinke. “The ‘Smart Cities Model Projects’ funding programme gives us the opportunity to learn from others, to change perspectives and develop new ideas, to seek and find solutions and make them a success.”

Sensors, telescopes and anchor points

The city of Flensburg and the districts of Schleswig-Flensburg and Nordfriesland have launched several measures as part of the funding programme to make the region more digital and thus future-proof. For example, one of the largest projects in the field of parking space monitoring in Germany: more than 550 sensors are used to monitor parking spaces at tourist hotspots in order to control visitor flows. For example, at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Haithabu and Danewerk in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg or in Friedrichstadt in North Friesland. Travellers can then see available parking spaces in real time in an app.

The next step is to use this data to set up a visitor guidance system. The so-called recommender reacts to occupied parking spaces at excursion destinations or on the beach and suggests further tourist offers in the region as alternatives. “This relieves the infrastructure and promotes tourism away from the major attractions,” explains Malte Zinke.

The Smart Border Region is also setting new cultural standards: in Husum, a ‘time travel telescope’ is being developed that uses augmented reality to allow visitors to immerse themselves in the past. Instead of a view of the sea or the sky, tourists will be able to see Husum Castle through the telescope. But not just as it looks today, but also as it looked when it was being built in the 16th century. An accompanying narrative tells visitors everything worth knowing about Husum Castle. The first time travel telescope, which is the first of its kind in this form, is to be set up by the end of the year.

But it's not just about technology, it's also about people. Digital participation is promoted with anchor locations and maker spaces. A specially employed coordinator is building a network of initiatives and organisations to support people in helping others to explore the digital world. The Smart Border Region presents itself at larger events in the region with an information trailer to provide information about its measures and to allay citizens' fears of contact.

‘Problems do not end at city or district borders’

The Smart Border Region proves that digitalisation does not stop at borders. In close cooperation with the KielRegion Smarter Leben, the Smart City Lübeckor the Smart City Amt Süderbarup, solutions are being developed that have a cross-regional impact. ‘Developing solutions for an entire region together is both a challenge and an opportunity,’ says the managing director of the digital agency.

Funding from the ‘Smart City Model Projects’ funding programme will expire at the end of 2026. A wide range of measures are to be implemented by then together with partners. Long-term measures such as the visitor guidance system will also extend beyond the project phase and are designed to be permanent, emphasises Zinke. The digital anchor points and other measures for participation are to be continued after the project period and thus have a lasting effect throughout the smart border region. The time travel telescope in Husum is intended to serve as a prototype for many more similar projects through the openly accessible data. Digitalisation should thus be an ongoing process in the region, for which the model project ‘Smart Border Region between the Seas’ is initiating and promoting a wide range of measures.