Tampere is one of the partner cities in the European Union’s Horizon-funded BEHOLDER project. The initiative focuses on improving smart city infrastructure to detect security threats more effectively and consistently.
- Tampere’s existing, extensive smart city solutions—such as the city’s IoT platform—make it an ideal partner city for the project. We have a long history of innovatively applying smart solutions for the benefit of residents, including in terms of safety, says Anniina Autero, Development Manager at the City of Tampere.
In the project, Tampere acts as a pilot city where solutions are tested and developed. The IoT platform refers to the technical systems of cities that collect data from sensors and cameras installed in the urban environment. These platforms offer various tools and capabilities for processing, sharing, refining, and analyzing the collected data.
A key focus of the project is to create open and easily accessible CBRN-E data standards that support integration with cities’ existing technology platforms and enable large-scale deployment of solutions. CBRN-E stands for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats. Pilot projects conducted in urban environments will test system performance, offer new solutions, and improve cities’ response capabilities.
The BEHOLDER project also provides a comprehensive training program for stakeholders who manage and use security solutions.
- International joint projects, collaboration, and learning together are characteristic of Tampere’s approach to building a safe and smart city. The best innovations arise from shared expertise and experiences, Autero adds.
Other project partners include the Dutch Institute for Safe and Secure Spaces, OpenRemote, Sioux Technologies, and the City of Eindhoven (Netherlands); SFC Nonprofit LLC and Ideas Science (Hungary); ITTI and the University of Warsaw (Poland); the International Union of Railways (France); Politecnico di Milano (Italy); Université Catholique de Louvain and the Meetjesland Centrum Local Police (Belgium); the City of Tampere and the Ministry of the Interior (Finland).
