Etteln becomes world’s best smart city: Global recognition for digital innovation and community spirit

The digital networking of the village of Etteln in the Paderborn district has been recognized with an award. The village was named the best “Smart City” in an international comparison by the world’s largest engineering association for electrical engineering and information technology (IEEE) – ahead of Hong Kong. The head of Etteln in the Paderborn district, Ulrich Ahle, is still overwhelmed and receives inquiries from all corners of the world. This is because the village of 2,000 inhabitants, a district of Borchen, has an excellent digital infrastructure. These efforts have now been recognized in Pattaya, Thailand, with an award from the IEEE. IEEE stands for “Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers”, a global professional association with more than 400,000 engineers, technicians and scientists. The jury was impressed by the developments in Etteln in the Altenautal valley, which tipped the scales in favor of the application from Germany. The local digital offerings include village apps for arranging carpooling and posting classified ads. There is a touchscreen in the village center that provides the population with up-to-date information. Volunteers offer courses in the use of digital technologies to all interested residents of the village. The filling of the used clothing container is also monitored digitally and an environmental data measuring station has been put into operation. Furthermore, an electric village car and an electric cargo bike, both of which are connected to the internet, are available for use free of charge.

Digitization as a joint effort and strategy for the future

The development of the topic of digitalization has become the core of the village’s brand and has been an ongoing process for several years, driven by the village community. They also laid 30 kilometers of fiber optic cables themselves. Over 60 people have invested more than 3,000 hours of their free time to implement these measures. “I am very proud of what we have achieved together with the many volunteers in the village, but also with the help of funding projects,” says Ulrich Ahle, who has been head of the village for ten years and a key co-initiator of “Smart City” Etteln. He also brings some of the necessary expertise with him, as he is an experienced IT expert and manager in his main profession. The most recent project is the conception of a “digital village twin” on the Internet. This makes it easier to identify hazardous situations for a large number of people. The visualization of flooding in a digital village model enables a precise analysis of the affected areas, the origin of the water and potential preventive measures. As a result, the concept for a new construction area was revised. Furthermore, measures to improve the quality of life in rural areas are supported by funding from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The experience and solutions gained in Etteln are therefore to be made available not only to the other districts of the municipality of Borchen, but also to rural communities throughout Germany. “Everything we have created can also be used by other villages,” says village head Ahle. “Most of the solutions are available free of charge and we are happy to help. We’ve already had dozens of other municipalities visit us.”