On Wednesday, March 19, the series “Stadtlabor zu Besuch” invites you to an exciting event hosted by the Smart City Innovation Unit Bochum, Stadtwerke Bochum, and the Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS). Under the title “Energy Transition through District Heating – Simple. Clever. Heating,” experts will discuss how district heating works and the opportunities it offers for sustainable heat supply. The event will take place from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM at the Quartiershalle of KoFabrik, Stühmeyerstraße 33, in Bochum.
Bridging Research and Practice
While Stadtwerke Bochum will present their plans for expanding the district heating network and demonstrate the technology of a district heating station, CAIS researchers Christoph Bieber and Pauline Heger will present their latest research findings. As part of the project program “DDI – Digital Democratic Innovations,” they are investigating how citizens perceive new technologies for the energy transition and which innovative participation formats can be developed to actively involve society in the transition.
A central component of this research approach is the “Pop-Up Citizen Lab: Social Acceptance of Urban Innovations (2024/25),” which was secured in January 2024 as part of the funding program “Transformation Knowledge for Democracy” by the Volkswagen Foundation. In collaboration with the Smart City Innovation Unit, the project explores in an experimental setting how citizens perceive the introduction of technological innovations in urban environments. On May 19, the Pop-Up Citizen Lab will be presented in a brief showcase, supplemented by initial research findings.
Interactive and Informative
Interested people will have the opportunity to learn about how district heating works and get to know the specifics of Bochum’s heating system. Participation is free of charge. Registration is required and can be made here: https://www.bochum-smartcity.de/event/stadtlabor-zu-besuch-waermewende-durch-fernwaerme/
About Stadtlabor zu Besuch
“Stadtlabor zu Besuch” is an event format by the Smart City Innovation Unit Bochum that regularly invites people to discuss topics related to digitalization. The goal is to make innovative technologies and concepts accessible to the general public and explore their potential for urban development.