What happens when one of Europe’s leading technical universities and a city council work together to shape the future? In Lausanne, this is giving rise to a unique innovation ecosystem.

With the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), the city has a world-renowned research institution whose developments do not gather dust in the laboratory. Together with the city, industry partners and other research institutions, new technologies are being tested directly in the urban environment – from artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure to sustainable urban development. This is turning Lausanne into a genuine Urban Living Lab, where research and practice go hand in hand.

The city as a digital twin

One of the most exciting projects is BlueCity. The aim is to build an open Urban Digital Twin – a digital representation of the city that brings together and links data from a wide variety of areas.

Unlike traditional transport models, BlueCity views the city as an integrated system. Mobility, energy, buildings, and environmental and climate data are analysed together to simulate the effects of planned measures even before they are implemented. AI-supported analyses are designed to help make fact-based decisions and make cities more sustainable, resilient and liveable.

Mobility as part of an interconnected system

Lausanne is also taking a long-term approach to public transport. The city already operates Switzerland’s only fully automated metro. Together with a dense network of electric buses, bike-share schemes and attractive footpaths, it forms the backbone of a mobility strategy designed to facilitate the shift from cars to sustainable modes of transport.

This system is being further expanded with the new M3 metro line. This year, the Swiss Federal Council approved the new line to improve access to the growing city even further. It is also part of the Lausanne–Morges regional development programme (PALM). Mobility is not viewed in isolation here, but is planned in conjunction with urban development, climate adaptation and land use.

Sustainability as part of the city’s strategy

When it comes to climate protection, too, Lausanne focuses on concrete measures rather than individual projects. The city holds the Swiss ‘Cité de l’énergie’ label and was the first European municipality to be awarded the European Energy Award Gold. Municipalities are only awarded the ‘Cité de l’énergie’ (Energy City) label if they can demonstrate that they are implementing a strategic energy and climate policy. Areas assessed include spatial planning, municipal buildings, energy supply, mobility, administration, as well as communication and cooperation with the public. Cities must fulfil at least 50 per cent of the possible measures; for the highest accolade – the European Energy Award Gold – the figure rises to at least 75 per cent. In 2004, Lausanne, together with Riehen, was among the first cities in Europe to achieve this Gold status. What makes this special is that the certification is regularly reviewed and must be reconfirmed every four years.

Innovation arises from collaboration

Smart cities do not emerge solely through sensors or apps, as the Swiss city of Lausanne clearly demonstrates. The real key to success is close collaboration between academia, the public sector and industry.

Three insights stand out in particular:

• Testing innovation where people live – rather than developing technologies exclusively in the laboratory.
• Using digital twins as a decision-making tool to simulate the effects of new measures in advance.
• Thinking of urban development as an interconnected system in which mobility, energy, buildings and climate are considered together.

It is precisely this combination of cutting-edge research, real-world test environments and data-driven urban planning that makes Lausanne an innovative smart city hub in Europe – and a role model for cities that adopt digitalisation strategically rather than in an ad hoc manner.