The project is part of the EU’s Digital Europe program. It is led from Gothenburg, Sweden, and brings together a cross-sectoral team of private businesses, civil society organisations, and universities from across Europe, aiming to make city spaces more accessible to everyone.

Families often need to consider the combined needs of certain family members, such as physical barriers, cognitive challenges, age-related issues, anxiety, or language comprehension, before, during and after visiting the city. A tailored Local Digital Twin of the city integrated with an AI Assistant allows people to plan the visits, familiarise themselves with locations, and experience the city via their own smart device, thus removing many physical and mental thresholds that prevent full participation in city life.

The project’s ambition is to deliver a scalable, replicable model of the Local Digital Twin that can be applied to cities across Europe, setting a new standard for digital inclusiveness and sustainable urban development.

GATE will contribute to the project with its expertise in developing a 3D model of the city of Sofia focusing on the creation of improved and more accessible infrastructure and services for the citizens.

The official start in October marks the beginning of a two-and-a-half-year journey, with the first exciting milestone set for the first half of 2025. By then, the team aims to have a prototype of the technical setup. It will be the foundation for the accessible digital twin that will allow users to explore Gothenburg virtually, in a new and inspiring way.

More information: European Citiverses Uniting for Inclusiveness | Lindholmen Science Park

Photo credit: Lindholmen Science Park