Project transition: Bye bye blog, hello world
The Open Source Lab experimental think tank is merging into the DFKI. more
The Open Source Lab experimental think tank is merging into the DFKI. more
The Open Source Lab has created DIY cards for the Sustainable Mobility Kit more
Tool
Photo by Miriam Espacio on Unsplash
The European Union is in an economic crisis. One possible way out is a massive investment in ecological and sustainable energy technology. The solution could be: hydrogen. more
Technology
Photo by Jules Bss on Unsplash
The South Sea paradise of Kiribati is particularly hard hit by climate change. Rising sea levels are making ever-larger parts of the archipelago uninhabitable and will eventually swallow it up completely. A nation faces an uncertain future. more
Policy
Photo by mauro mora on Unsplash
We all agree that global mobility must become more sustainable. With this global goal in mind, an international stakeholder group was formed at the initiative of the World Bank in 2017, whose work I would like to present to you. more
Visualization
Initiated by the Sustainability Council of Volkswagen AG, the Open Source Lab for Sustainable Mobility developed a number of digital outputs and prototypes with the aim to make them available as true open source resources for the global open source community. In order for these assets to be openly available into the future, their components […] more
Tool
Photo by Peter-Paul Moschik on Unsplash
Berlin has the largest public transport network in Germany. A substantial part of it, namely two-thirds of the S-Bahn, will be equipped with new, modern trains. As a result, one of the biggest tenders in the history of public transport is about to be launched. more
Visualization
The Open Source Lab contributed a case study of interaction design led communication, knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainable and open urban transport systems at the City and Complexity international conference. more
ConferenceResearch
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
For one month the city of Berlin has been advertising with a total of 700 posters the “Mobilitätswende”, an initiative that aims to fundamentally change mobility in the German capital. The basis for this is a law unique in Germany, which had its origin in a referendum... more
Policy
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
After a long wait, the German "Corona-Warn-App" was released almost two weeks ago. It is completely open-source and has so far been very well received by users. Just in time for the start of the German summer holidays, it should help to further contain the spread of the coronavirus. more
Technology
Image on ecoship-pb.com
The Japanese NGO "Peace Boat" is planning to launch its cruise ship "Ecoship". Powered by wind and solar energy, the aim is to carry out educational and research trips instead of the classic cruise. more
Technology
Photo by Richard Balog on Unsplash
How much does the Internet mean to us? Without thinking too much, it is a fundamental tool of our culture, economy and society, and the very idea of a day in our life without the internet would be chaotic. Therefore, we are not wrong saying that the universal system is fully integrated by the great network of networks, everything within reach of click. more
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
The European transport system has presented different challenges over the years. The European Union has always paid special attention to efficiency, but certainly, the commitment to the environment has become one of the key priorities for transport services. more
Visualization
Photo by Saketh Garuda on Unsplash
In times of the coronavirus mobility becomes immobility, but that situation can also be sustainable. The City of Hamburg is trying to prove that, in a different way, from what you might imagine at first. Let me present two interesting projects to you. Part II: Moringa, Germany's first high-rise residential building based on the cradle-2-cradle principle. more
Visualization
We are happy to announce the public release of the open dataset “MobilityNet”, a collection of data related to transparent and privacy aware mobility tracking through an open-source app. The dataset was accepted and presented as a poster at the Workshop “Tackling Climate Change with Machine Learning”, in the frame of the International Conference on […] more
ConferenceDataResearch
Photo by Greg Bakker on Unsplash
In times of the coronavirus we all stay more at home much more, mobility becomes immobility. Immobility can also be sustainable. The City of Hamburg is trying to prove that, in a different way, then you might imagine at first. Let me present two interesting projects to you. Part I: green.fACade, the air-cleaning building facade more
Visualization
It was recently time for us to move out of our offices at EUREF Campus after about one and a half years. We are now located at the DFKI project offices in Moabit. more
Photo by Luis Cortés on Unsplash
To overcome the corona crisis, experts continue to place great hope in tracking apps for smartphones. These apps should record the position data of their users and help to detect and interrupt chains of infection. But the rollout of such an app in Germany is still a long time coming. more
Technology
Photo by John Cameron on Unsplash
The oil price must fall permanently below 20 US dollars per barrel in order to be able to compete with renewable energies. Last year, the large French bank BNP Paribas published a very interesting study, which I would like to present to you, dear readers. As we all know the current developments of the oil price... more
Visualization
Photo by Andrew Gook on Unsplash
The corona crisis is leading to a change in mobility in many places. This is mainly happening in cities, where people are adapting their daily commute to the crisis and switching to the bicycle. This is a very sustainable form of mobility for health and the environment, to which the traffic planners in Bogotá have responded brilliantly. more
Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash
Corona is keeping us at home, we are hardly ever on the move. The streets are much emptier than usual. If you are currently traveling by train, you don't just have a seat, but often a whole wagon for yourself. Flight schedules are more infrequent than the chance of seeing a shooting star. more
Visualization
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash
In the fight against the COVID 19 pandemic, the use of mobile phone data is controversial, especially in Europe. A team of scientists and companies from eight European countries is currently developing "Pan-European Privacy-Preserving Proximity Tracing" (PEPP-PT) - the technological basis for a European anti-corona app. In contrast to Asian apps, the privacy of users is respected and protected. more
Visualization
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash
The debate on the subject of Net Neutrality is certainly nothing new in the world of data. Open or Restricted? That's the big question. more
Visualization
The Meetup explored unique humanitarian initiatives worldwide with innovative projects focussing on open source approaches for inclusive mobility – from community development through to open mapping, to the creation of DIY mobile clinics. more
Event
The Open Source Lab launched the Sustainable Mobility Kit prototype with a collaborative workshop including experts in transport public policy, futures research and product design. more
EventWorkshop
Building a shared vision is central to partnership building, participatory democracy and transformational innovation. Introducing a new way to inspire discussion and imagine urban transport transformations. more
Tool
Photo by Sander Lenaerts on Unsplash
Cable cars are an exciting and sustainable means of public transport in cities, which do not meet the geographical requirements of other transport systems. In some South American cities, they are even a little more... more
Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
Cruise ships consume a lot of electricity even when they are not moving. As long as they are in port, they could be supplied with shore power, and thereby significantly reduce emissions. But shore power is expensive and in some places not a truly sustainable benefit. more
Photo by Trevor Cole on Unsplash
In recent decades, motorized traffic has increased significantly worldwide. Especially in large metropolises, the high number of has become a massive problem with negative effects on the quality of life, the environment, climate and economic development. With the help of the UN, Kenya is investing in the expansion of footpaths and cycle paths and is increasing social equity be earmarking more
Visualization
Photo by Science in HD on Unsplash
News about the bad things happening here and there is an everyday occurrence. Everybody talks about climate change, today it is a topic installed in the media, social networks, even as a subject of the curricula of high schools and universities. The key question would be: How do we react to it? more
Visualization
Photo by camilo jimenez on Unsplash
What is Big Data? It could be something like huge amounts of information, that not only involves personal data, that is easy to obtain and has a massive reach. Where are we in the big digital world? more
Data
Photo by Daniel Olah on Unsplash
On the 10th of December 2019, the time had finally come: The world's first purely electrically powered commercial flight took place in Canada. Welcome to a new era in flight history. more
Technology
Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash
A mild hybrid cannot drive purely electrically, but can save fuel with electrical support. How does it work? And what is a mild hybrid? more
Technology
The Open Source Lab has published an interactive systems visualization to navigate potentials and explore best practice for urban transport transformations through digitization, multi-stakeholder innovation and systems thinking. more
ResearchTool
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Airlines are among the largest producers of CO2 emissions. If production cannot be avoided, you can at least buy yourself a better conscience. I will explain how this works. more
Visualization
The issue of letting consumers understand the environmental and social impact of their purchases was the main focus of the "EcoWidgy" project, initiated by a Berlin-based team during the 2019 Collabathon for the Open Climate Platform, with the participation of Open Source Lab. more
Photo by Yves Alarie on Unsplash
The process of global warming has been accentuated more and more under the responsibility of humans, however, the awakening of social conscience added to the efforts of the scientific community are powerful factors to achieve the great rescue of the environment. more
ResearchTechnology
The Open Source Lab Meetup series continued with insights from organisations working towards the broad adoption of open standards to ensure cities are able to optimise emerging technologies and solutions. more
Event
The international collaborative hackathon (or “Collabathon”) for a Global Climate Accounting system started on Saturday 16 November and has been going on for two weeks. Following an initiative of the Yale Open Lab, a kick-off weekend took place in 6 nodes around the world including a node in Berlin. The DFKI Open Source Lab for Sustainable Mobility participated and supported the event. The more
Event
Photo by mahdis mousavi on Unsplash
You are invited on 5 December 2019! Open Source Lab hosts a mobility workshop at the KI Camp, organized by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. So, get ready and save this date in your calendar. more
Event
Photo by Sebastian Pichler on Unsplash
In the last three weeks, I've been on the road a lot, out of a total of eleven changes of location I've done a whole nine by plane. This is a good reason for me to take a closer look at the current price war and its influence on traveling above the clouds. Within the framework of a small mini-series, I will deal above all with the phenomenon of "cheap flying" in German and European travel as more
Policy
Photo by Benjamin Suter on Unsplash
In the last three weeks, I've been on the road a lot, out of a total of eleven changes of location I've done a whole nine by plane. This is a good reason for me to take a closer look at the current price war and its influence on traveling above the clouds. Within the framework of a small mini-series, I will deal above all with the phenomenon of "cheap flying" in German and European travel as more
Visualization
Under the name “Open source design and Design for open source" the upcoming DWebDesign (a short form of “decentralized web”) Meetup will feature a talk by the Open Source Lab and present the projects' activities and major learnings. We are looking forward to be part of it! more
Event
Photo by Edu Lauton on Unsplash
What would the Wright Brothers have said in 1903 if someone had told them that their invention would one day fly 350 people across the Atlantic in less than six hours? The word “impossible” seems very likely to me. Perhaps in another 100 years airplanes will hover quietly and emission-free through the sky and fly completely electrically, which still seems unthinkable today. more
Technology
We are aware of the impacts that our environment has been suffering for some time. Therefore, it is here and now, when we can be protagonists of the paradigm shift necessary to combat climate change. Open Source Lab invites you to be part of this great challenge! more
EventThe next Open Source Lab meet up will take place on Tuesday 26th November, doors opening at 5.30pm. We will explore initiatives working towards open standards for digital transformations in cities. more
Event
Team Berlin on the Move
Climathon Berlin was a one of a kind experience. As hosts of the challenge "Berlin on the Move" Open Source Lab asked - "How can data help make urban mobility more sustainable?" The participant's ideas, visions and spirit exceeded our expectations. We are proud to present the results of 24 hours of hard work as well as summarize what else happened at Climathon. more
Event
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
In the last three weeks, I've been on the road a lot, from a total of eleven changes in my location I've done a whole nine by plane. This is a good reason for me to take a closer look at the current price war and its influence on travelling above the clouds. Within the framework of a small mini-series, I will deal above all with the phenomenon of "cheap flying" in German and European travel more
Visualization
The countdown is on: there are only a couple of days left until the global event Climathon starts. We will be participating as hosts of the challenge "Berlin on the Move - How can data help make urban mobility more sustainable?" and compete against three other amazing hosts, whose challenges focus on the reduction of waste production and resource consumption, as well as Berlin's resilience more
opensourcelab.dfki.de/cases
The Open Source Lab’s Cases is a digital tool on our blog with over 50 examples that provides practice-based knowledge on innovations in sustainable mobility globally, taking into consideration that open approaches in transportation may take various forms and shapes. more
ResearchTool
Great news from our network: On 7 and 8 November the international design conference "re/set mobility design" takes place at Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Offenbach. With many international guests present, the conference will be a unique event rich in informative panels and discussions. more
Conference
Photo by Carl Figuracion on Unsplash
Do children need electric mobility? Bosch and Emmaljunga have a clear answer to this question. What some may think is a joke will become reality next year - as protection and a toy for young and old. more
Technology
Photo by David Clarke on Unsplash
Climate change, insecurity, overpopulation and poverty are some of the main problems to which governments must pay special attention. Therefore, anticipating these problems is a priority in many cities and administrations should try to predict all possible scenarios in order to create long-term strategies and react through short-term actions. more
Policy
Image by isha.outreach.org
Rally for Rivers or more specific Cauvery Calling is a campaign with a supporting action plan created by a non-profit organization in India. Its goal is to reverse the depletion of Indian rivers while saving the countries food and water supply for future generations. At the same time it provides an applicable approach for many other countries facing similar issues if succesful. more
Excursion
Photo by Gab Pili on Unsplash
Margo Oge, who is part of VW's Sustainability Council and served as the director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality, recently published an interesting article on Forbes explaining current developments in the US American car industry under the Trump administration. more
Policy
Photo by Yoel J Gonzalez on Unsplash
The European Mobility Week campaign, which took place from 16-22 September 2019, targets urban authorities and stakeholders. The aim of the campaign is for authorities to learn from cities and towns about the most recent urban developments and reduce car-use and transport emissions. more
Feature
Photo by Chris Barbalis on Unsplash
The non-profit organization NewCities creates well-founded content about new trends in urban development worldwide. As an exchange platform, they aim to connect the most important stakeholders of the urban ecosystem, such as academic institutions, governments, civil society organizations and locals. They have also initiated the CityWellbeing Award – an award handed to cities which are global more
FeatureElizabeth Chee is Co & VP – Business Development at Iomob and has been one of our favorite guests at our MeetUp #3 on July 24. She is driven by a vision to use technology to better the causes she cares deeply for: Mobility, Healthcare and Education. more
Interview
Photo by Erik Eastman on Unsplash
If you haven't visited Japan yet, you've probably heard or read a lot about this country. Japan is not only known for sports like Sumo or for "Memoirs of a Geisha", but the cultural, technological and social display makes it worthy of being a number one in many respects. Let's see! more
Technology
Photo by Holger Link on Unsplash
Raising awareness of the importance of natural resources undoubtedly represents a major step on the way to preserving the environment. Despite all the efforts, there is still a lot to be done. more
Data
Image via climathon-climate.kic.org
It's Global Climathon Day on 25 October. Climathon is a platform that creates tangible projects that aim to tackle climate change. Climathon also hosts an event which targets cities all around the globe that all aim to find solutions for different global problems caused by climate change. This year's Climathon includes challenges such as Air Pollution, Extreme Weather, Waste Management, more
Conference
Photo by Daniel Cheung on Unsplash
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) presented preliminary statistics from the World Robotics Report, which shows that a new world record of 384,000 units has been shipped in 2018, an increase of one percent over the previous year. more
Technology
Photo by Samuele Errico Piccarini on Unsplash
The European Union has set itself serious targets for the safety of vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users. The "Intelligent Speed Assistance" helps in this respect, because humans are primarily made responsible for accidents and thus will get some support. more
Policy
Photo by Andrew Butler on Unsplash
It's not just a rumor, the roads of the European Union are the safest in the world! The bad news is that despite the effort and work devoted to road safety, the European Union has reported in 2017 more than 25,000 deaths and 135,000 injuries on the roads. Therefore, the challenges begin. more
Data
Image by Todd Huffman on flickr
A group of American cities - most notably Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco - started the Open Mobility Foundation (OMF) with the aim of creating an open-source project. OMF, constitutes as a non-profit coalition, from its beginnings it has sought to install a new platform on open standards and software to manage urban mobility efficiently. Let's see how it works! more
DataVisualization
Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash
We recently had a look at other labs in Europe and beyond and have made some very interesting discoveries. As we mainly focussed our research on mobility-related labs, the following list of our Top 10 labs is concerned with similar topics as we are. However, there are also some labs that follow an open approach with their publications and inspire their readers and followers to lead a more more
Feature
image by stemgarden.co
A new heatwave is currently breaking over Germany and Europe. Everyone longs for refreshment, cooling down and whatever else is not associated with sweat-inducing exertion. Today I would like to introduce something very relaxing for you, something which once started promisingly, but then remained almost unnoticed. more
Visualization
On 24 July, the Open Source Lab was holding a 3rd MeetUp event kicking-off the research on partnerships in the sector of mobility. With the focus on how public and private stakeholders can join forces to reduce CO2 emissions and shift away from car dependency, three speakers from award-winning start-ups were invited to share their experiences. The Open Source Lab MeetUp #3 took place in our more
Event
Photo by Francesco Ungaro on Unsplash
Sitting in our office and looking out the window at the immensity of options that the city offers us, is something that can seem ordinary and is easily under-valued. But it is quite the opposite for those communities located in Cities, in which the daily movement means to dive into chaos. more
Visualization
image by bbc.com
Scientists at the Technical University of Munich built, through a four-year research project, a car that promises to improve mobility in developing countries. The main objective of the project was to open up new mobility possibilities that primarily benefit rural regions which lack ideal infrastructures. more
Technology
image by golem.de
The wave of sustainable mobility brought interesting novelties that currently give European cities the possibility to explore different options. Did you follow the e-scooter discussions? more
Technology
Photo by Jo Szczepanska on Unsplash
A technical error or an accident can ignite the lithium-ion batteries of electric vehicles. A danger that can hardly be solved by conventional means. A new container is now available to provide a remedy. more
Visualization
Photo by Andy Kelly on Unsplash
Artificial intelligence is on the rise. In everyday life, we are increasingly encountering machines that function autonomously. But there are challenges to be faced by science. And these cannot always be answered with mere logic. more
VisualizationWe are happy to announce that our next MeetUp will take place at our lab on 24 July at 5.30. On this occasion, we are looking for answers to the question of how Private-Public Partnerships can help enable a more sustainable and inclusive mobility. There will be three amazing speakers talking about their experiences and visions. more
Event
Photo by Open Mobility Forum
The idea of achieving efficient future mobility is an issue that concerns us - we work together with our amazing partner network to integrate everyone into this journey. more
Visualization
Photo on Organic Transit twiter
When we think about whether we should buy a car or not to bring children between 8 and 10 years of age to school, or when we just want to go to the supermarket to buy more than what two arms can carry, we are definitely in a perfect dilemma between money, comfort and practicality. more
Technology
Image on traveltalkmag.com.au
On 27 June 2019, the world's first hybrid cruise ship, the “MS Roald Amundsen” of the Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten, will set sail. A first step towards ecological and sustainable development in the cruise industry. more
Technology
Last Thursday, June 20, we had the opportunity to welcome representatives of VW’s Sustainability Council Georg Kell, Michael Sommer, Yves Leterme and Margo Oge as well as Pauline Sprenger on behalf of Ralf Pfitzner. more
Workshop
Urban mobility plays a key role in enabling cities to reach the goal of carbon neutrality. Forces that will shape mobility transformations and how open approaches within these can benefit emissions reduction progress are identified in the Open Source Lab's latest publication. more
ResearchWorking Paper
Photo by Ross Parmly
The summer holidays are the peak period for travel worldwide. As fun as travelling is, the journey to the actual destination can be disastrous and ruin the whole vacation. No one really wants to waste time they could spend on the beach stuck in traffic or waiting for trains that are delayed or even cancelled. Consequently, many people opt for flying in order to reach their destination more
Measurement
It has four tires, a steering wheel and you need a driving license to drive it. After initial production difficulties, a small electric car will enter the German streets in autumn: Microlino. more
Technology
Photo by Stock Catalog on Flickr
Sometimes we find ourselves working on our laptop and suddenly Mr. Google presents that beach we want to visit in our so dreamed of summer vacations. Being innocent we would say: How incredible is the digital world that magically knows our preferences about places we want to see. Being more realistic when it comes to the Internet, we can say that in the world of data we are still at the more
Measurement
image by 99percentinvisible.org
The impact of climate change is unavoidable, so the intervention of societies is tremendously important in terms of mitigation and adaptation to the change. more
Research
Germany's first e-highway was put into operation on the A5 motorway near Frankfurt at the beginning of May. Hybrid trucks can charge their batteries while driving via current collectors. more
Technology
Photo by Tabea Damm on Unsplash
Smart City is a concept of great interest that is in full development in today's societies. The preservation of the environment, the development of technology and the comfort of human beings are ideas, which can go hand-in-hand. more
TechnologyBeate Kubitz is Director of Policy and Communications at TravelSpirit Foundation and has been one of our favorite guests at the Roundtable discussion on April 24. She believes that innovations in transportation are noticeably positive, but these innovations need shaping to work for communities and the environment. more
InterviewOliver Thereaux is Head of Technology at Open Data Institute in the Uk. He leads the ODI Labs team in the design and creation of prototypes and services for ODI Toolbox, as well as the creation of software. At this Roundtable "Zero Emission City", Olivier shared his knowledge and perspective on the implications of Open Data on urban mobility. more
Interview
We are happy to have been part of the workshop at ITF Leipzig on the topic “Commuter Mobility – Collaboration for New Intermodal Solutions”. We joined representatives of the Sustainability Council as well as other great organizations in order to discuss what must be done to ensure sustainable and efficient commuting. However, we also talked about what is possible already and how this can be more
Conference
Picture by daisuke.k on flickr
The combustion engine will die out, the electric car is the future of the automotive industry. Today we can choose between attractive mobility alternatives, but the most remarkable thing is that all of them have the seal of sustainability. more
Technology
Photo by Thomas Kelley on Unsplash
The future belongs to electric mobility. Battery-powered vehicles are changing not only the way we move, but they also change life as a whole. Our infrastructure must be adapted to the new needs in order to supply electric vehicles. But they are a mobile source of energy for other devices connected to them, too. This does not only mean to charge a cell phone while driving. The keyword is: “V2G”. more
Technology
Image by fes.de/mobility
Everything is on the move. People, goods and data are constantly in flux. Our societies are built on the bedrock of mobility subscribing to the ability to be flexible in time and space with utmost significance. How can the change towards more sustainable mobility that unites economic with ecological approaches be designed? That was one of the key questions asked at the Congress 'mobility more
Conference
Image by flickr
The idea of opening data sets is deeply rooted in Finland's future strategies. The impulse given by the government through innovative Open Data programmes has been constituted as a radical "Yes" to social and technological progress. more
Data
On April 24th, 2019 we held our second Roundtable with a fantastic group of experts at the Open Source Lab in Berlin followed by our Get Together Event. Focusing on the question 'What emerges in the overlap of Zero Emission Cities and an Open Source Approach' we discussed possible future concepts of mobility with special regard towards data usage, literacy and ofcourse sovereignty. more
Event
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
Efficiency in urban mobility requires a useful accompaniment by data management. The emergence of APIs in today's societies allows access to unified and standardized data information regarding what happens in our cities in real-time. more
PolicyOn 24 April our next Get Together & Discussion event is taking place, everyone is warmly welcome! We are especially happy to welcome our guests from UK: the Open Data Institute and the TravelSpirit Foundation will give insights into their inspiring work. At 5.30 pm we are opening our doors for everyone interested in sustainable mobility. Join us at the Get Together for drinks, snacks and more
Event
We have no idea how far Open Source can go, but what we do know today is that we can achieve things that yesterday did not seem possible. For Travelspirit, the great goal is an Open, Equitable and Sustainable Mobility Ecosystem through Open Source. How? Let's see.... more
Policy
At the time of data revolution, the Open Data Institute is a protagonist of great and innovative changes. In view of its participation in our Roundtable & Get together #2, we are already looking forward to all that is to share. more
Policy
Image by Arnold Mike
What mechanisms can we utilise to shape our digitalising world to ensure it is human centric? This was the key question of the Vienna Workshop on Digital Humanism. more
Conference
Photo by wingcopter.com
Revolutionizing medical care in remote areas with the help of drones, the "Deliver Future" project proves that this is not only a dream of the future. Drone manufacturer Wingcopter, DHL and the German Corporation for International Cooperation jointly launched the "DHL Parcelcopter 4.0" and supply the Tanzanian island of Ukerewe with medicine at record speed. more
Technology
The very first Open Mobility Conference held on 11th April 2019 in Brussels examined how to build an open ecosystem of mobility and aimed to lay the foundations for seamless Mobility as a Service (MaaS). The Open Source Lab was a part of this effort and hosted a co-design workshop for open source mobility. more
Workshop
Photo by Haritas on businessworld.in
India, with a population of over 1.3 billion in 2017, is one of the most populous countries in the world. The remarkable growth of migration in urbanizations has forced India to think seriously about the restructuring of cities. more
Feature
Image by arteperilsi on flickr
Sweden wants to become fossil fuel free by 2045. The city of Malmö is a showcase project. Sweden's third-largest city is to be supplied exclusively with renewable energy by 2030. In the district of Hyllie, various approaches are being tested, which can be used initially in the rest of Malmö and later throughout the country. more
Feature
Image by shuttleworthfoundation.org
Mark Shuttleworth is an African Entrepreneur, who is particularly interested to improve the world's social, economic and political landscape in using communication technology. His Foundation offers scholarships to individuals to implement their innovative ideas for social change. Openness is the key requirement more
Feature
The Open Source Lab is proud to publish their first collaborative White Paper entitled “The Open Source Paradigm in the Digital Transformation – Enabling a Sustainable Future in Mobility.” The paper discusses how an open source ecosystem can foster a more sustainable approach to mobility. Read more
Working Paper
Photo by Jeremy Fennell on Flickr
Depending on which point of the Globe you are, you have more or less happy experiences concerning the traffic flow. For some cities, traffic congestion is a frustrating factor with which citizens live every day. What will be the most chaotic cities? more
Feature
The Open Source Lab was part of an international panel discussion concerning the topic of urban innovation and how open data and open source can play a crucial role here. more
Conference
image by graftlab.com
Let the sun shine down on … the Solarkiosk. Sustainable energy provision is regarded as one of the key cornerstones for the future growth of especially rural communities in developing countries. Just think about services like healthcare, sanitation or education - all rely on energy supply to run the equipment. While there is some form of access for metropolitan areas like Cape Town or Dakar more
Feature
Image by Geopolitika.hu
Barcelona is one of the smart cities that has always been at the forefront in terms of taking advantages of digitalization. For this purpose, it offers the laboratory for urban innovation, where the public, private, social and academic sectors are the protagonists of change. more
Feature
Image by tf_tweeter on Flickr
The technology has given rise to one of its most important innovations in the urban area, self-driving cars. Now, it is the legislators who are working on the necessary legal framework requirement that will enable autonomous cars to be on our roads in the near future. more
Technology
Image by pngtree.com
Cloud technologies are the basis of digitization in the modern economy. Companies that invest in their future viability are dependant on these technologies. The open-source approach offers the opportunity to reduce costs and risks in the cloud and to become more independent. The German start-up Meshcloud offers an open source cloud platform for companies. more
Technology
Image by dioxyde-de-gambettes.com
As a way to improve working conditions, being completely independent and promoting a quality and environmentally sustainable service, the delivery riders cooperative was born. more
Feature
Photo by ev on Unsplash
Estonia has only been an independent country for 26 years, but has quickly gained a reputation as a "Cyber-State". To keep it that way, the data that supports and defines Estonia's government and administration should also be stored on servers in other countries , in a kind of embassy. more
Feature
Photo by Rikki Chan on Unsplash
To evaluate the development of cities, a mobility index of sustainable cities has been implemented. Without a doubt, the binding factors for a positive or negative evaluation are important at the moment of qualifying the position of a city in comparison to the rest of the world. more
Measurement
Photo by Daniele Riggi on Unsplash
Evidently, economic data are not enough to describe our reality. The Social Progress Index has come to complete what governments, the private sector and society itself needed for efficient development. more
Measurement
Image by coolingsingapore.sg
Singapore wants to arm itself against the constantly rising temperatures. A team of international scientifics and government experts want to use the latest technologies to cool the city down. more
Feature
Image by nacto.org
When the goal is the benefit of communities, everything is possible. Through the Sharedstreet project, the public and private sectors go hand in hand, providing data for safety, monitoring and street management. more
FeatureOn March 6, 2019 our MeetUp series launched with a great group of open source practitioners presenting their experiences throughout open source mobility under the theme „Mapping Transit“. The Open Source Lab MeetUp #1 took place in our Lab at EUREF Campus 10, Berlin. more
Event
Photo by flickr.com
Viewing the fact that societies can solve almost everything through mobile phones and the internet, we wonder what happens to places where the Internet is scarce or almost impossible. We can say that countries, like Kenya, know how to avoid that absence very well. more
Feature
Photo by Yung Chang on Unsplash
The dream of sharing data, without limits and safely, is gaining more and more space in our digital present. New and innovative providers are generating attractive open source tools that allow users to take full control of their own data. more
Feature
Digital Village in Nairobi- Kenya. Image by www.coworker.com
Equal access to information and communication is an important issue on government agendas. For this reason, Digital Villages Project (DVP) has been created. In Kenya, DVP has adopted the name of Pasha Centre, whose main objective is the expansion of the Information and Communication Technology sector beyond urban areas. more
Feature
Image by Code for Africa
Open Data and Open Government are revolutionary as they promise to change the power dynamics that govern societies, giving ordinary citizens more and deeper information in real time, along with digital tools for engaging with fellow citizens and with those in positions of power. So, why are so few citizens using either the data or the tools – despite generous funding and massive more
Technology
Image by Frank Chamaki on Unsplash
Sweden's ambition to become fossil fuel free by 2045 is a great example of climate leadership. With plans of installing a public dashboard to track the transition across all sectors the Swedish society is also up for the challenge. The Swedish technology company MapLauncher is prototyping the Climate Dashboard, that hopefully helps to keep on track in terms of halving emissions, not only in more
Feature
Despite global commitments to and increasing enthusiasm for open data, little is actually known about its use and impact. What kinds of social and economic transformation has open data brought about and what is its future potential? How and under what circumstances has it been most effective? Even as proponents extol the virtues of open data, the field suffers from a lack of detailed more
Measurement
Image by hwzdigital.ch
Big Data, small Data, transparent or exclusive. Data is everywhere. It is the currency by which the biggest companies in the world run. Well, in fact, it is the currency by which the world operates from IT to municipal. But there is an imbalance between the creators of data and the ones making a profit from it. And this is why topics of data sovereignty and data literacy are on the rise - more
Feature
Image by medium.com
The Internet of things (IoT) is a thing. Every aspect of life is touched with the magical tech of network sensors. Physical objects - like clothing, cars and coffee makers - turn into smart devices that allow for remote monitoring and control as well as communication amongst those devices. Intel predicts 200 billion things being connected through the internet by 2020, which would be 25 times more
Technology
Image from www.freepik.es
Across Europe, the growth of new digital technologies increases the participation of communities and organisations in facing social and environmental challenges. Digital Social Innovation places civil actors as active protagonists of development. more
Feature
Image by DECODEproject.eu
The ability to access, control and use personal data has become a major challenge and more worrisome a means by which big internet companies can drive profits. This is DECODE's starting point for asking: Is it possible to develop tools that enable individuals to collectively share personal information on their own terms? And if so, how do we design these tools? more
Feature
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
Digitization already influences the decisions of three billion people and businesses every day and is poised to profoundly disrupt the global economy in the next decade. The expected digital disruption can help determine whether we live on a 1.5-2°C planet or a +3°C world. The Exponential Climate Action Roadmap charts the steps needed to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. more
Policy
Image by Greentechmedia
Solar roads are critically reviewed in regards to their actual capacity to generate energy and provide safe usage. They are expensive comparably and haven't been tested on a large scale yet. But there is always a but. And it starts with SOLMOVE a Berlin-based company that recently covered parts of a bicycle lane with those hardened glass panels. more
Image by theicct.org
The International Council on Clean Transportation is an organization that works across the globe in the fields of road, marine, and air transportation - providing research and analysis to help industry and governance to take well-informed steps towards reducing the impacts of climate change. more
Image by ebikes4africa.org
In Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, the local social startup SunCycles is making solar power E-Bikes. A very bright idea, not only because Namibia is one of the sunniest countries in the world with an average of 300 days of sunshine a year... more
Feature
The animated short movie “A Brief History of CO2 Emissions” illustrates the complex topic of global warming and climate politics. more
FeatureBernhard Fehr, researcher at the German Aerospace Center in Braunschweig (Germany), reminds us that there is not only one future of mobility but a range of opportunities for futures of mobility. In a short recap interview following our roundtable discussion, Bernhard points out that city planning and the planning of transportation systems should be integrated in those visions of the future. more
InterviewOur French connection and sister initiative FabMob was represented by its founder Gabriel Plassat for our roundtable discussion on 'Open Source Shared Mobility'. Gabriel sees the center of our future mobility lying in more liveable cities and a more citizen-centric approach with shared mobility, active modes of transport and public transport coming together. more
InterviewMax Kortlander, researcher of Waag at Amsterdam, Netherlands sees a bottom-up, co-created future of mobility. In a short recap interview following our roundtable discussion, Max says people who will be mobile themselves – bus riders, cyclists etc – need to be not just thought of but involved in the planning and implementation process. more
Interview
Gabriel Plassat, founder of FabMob, is part of our exciting first expert round on Open Source Mobility. With the FabMob initiative he is working to create a number of open platforms, engaging partners in a growing network – he would say ecosystem – of mobility. We are thrilled to have him at the Open Source Lab to share his experiences. more
FeatureOn November 27, 2018 our first Roundtable with a great group of experts and a welcoming Get Together in light of the question „What emerges in the overlap of ‘shared mobility’ and an ‘open source’ approach?“ took place at the Open Source Lab in Berlin. With diverse perspectives on mobility, we were discussing future concepts at the intersection between shared mobility notions and open source more
Event
Max Kortlander, public researcher of Waag Amsterdam, will be one of the invited experts in our discussion on Open Source Mobility. Waag is a middle-ground organisation composed of research groups that work with both grassroots initiatives and institutional partners across Europe. more
Feature
Photo by chuttersnap on Unsplash
Welcome to the fantastic wonderland of drones, this time with fins instead of wings or wheels. I do quite an amount of research on city strategies for dealing with environmental challenges. As stated before the Smart City Concept is the technological answer for most authorities these days. Rotterdam is no exception, actually it is the opposite. more
FeatureWe couldn't agree more with Georg Kell in pointing out that the rethinking of mobility as a public good needs to happen if we want to create a better tomorrow. more
Interview
Image by TIER
While German politicians are still discussing whether they want to allow the small electric scooters at all, the Berlin-based start-up TIER Mobility wants to establish this new form of micro-mobility anyhow. Following pioneering US companies like Bird, they are eager to bring the shareable e-scooter to European sidewalks. more
Feature
We are very happy to have an Open Data expert of the Open Knowledge Foundation here with us for our discussion on Open Source Mobility. OK Labs are local gatherings of interested citizens, programmers and designers working together on software and data projects to improve our cities and neighborhoods. more
Feature
Electric cars, for many, will bring about the fundamental turn in mobility. The opening conference of our dear lab neighbours MENNEKES, a leading producer and developer of charging infrastructure (plugs and charge columns), revealed the status quo of e-mobility in Germany and of our self-understanding as a car nation. more
Conference
This exciting meet-up of activists and experts in the fields of digitalization and environmental sustainability in Berlin attracted almost 1.500 people. We were also there and enjoyed the discussion on how digitalization can contribute to the sustainable transformation of society and the economy. more
Conference„It is quite easy to formulate ambitious targets in the far distant future, but it is very hard to start with something real,“ says Prof. Dr Edenhofer about the difficulties of projects concerned with sustainability. more
Interview
Image by archdaily.com
What humans inhale trees exhale, I once heard someone say. Almost every creature on the planet inherently knows how to breathe, that is simply put, turning Oxygen oxygen into Carbon carbon Dioxidedioxide. But what is true for us is different for plants. They need CO2 and turn it into Oxygenoxygen. Being no biologist, but that sounds like trees have fantastic skills that we are in need of. more
Feature
Image by Hitesh Choudhary
Blockchain technology is not only that Internet thing that you'll never want to explain to a tech-audience, it has also brought up a fairly new trust model in service relationships between humans and organizations. In blockchain-based sharing services, trust is not placed in an individual, but rather distributed across the entire population. more
TechnologyCombine the sharing paradigm well with new technologies and you might be able to make mobility a commodity that is more accessible for more citizens. This is a statement that we find very reasonable and necessary for changing the way we understand mobility. more
Interview
Image by paulkolling.de
It might sound a little far-fetched, but as technological developments have proven many times before, the future is actually right around the corner. Technologies like Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence are at the brink of turning around the world as we know it. Now, German Researchers have created a non-human legal entity that is able to act as an economic unit by itself. more
Feature
Image by space10.io
I will state the obvious after doing conducting some research on the future of mobility: Autonomous vehicles are on everyone's agenda - amongst among the conservative and visionary futurists alike. But promising projects on the topic are a rarity. That is why the so-called playful research project by the amazing Space10 is one worth checking out. Space10 is a living-lab based in Copenhagen more
Feature
Image by The Academy for Open Government Partnership
Just now, in this very moment, numerous data sets are collected and generated by government agencies around the world to complete various tasks in daily operations. These data sets involve almost all aspects of daily life, and government agencies are currently, believe it or not, the largest data holder. Doesn't feel like it? There is a way to get an overview of how open your government is... more
Policy“Even the notion of a ‘private’ car will be obsolete very soon,” says Elhadj As Sy. Despite all the unanswered questions of how this shapes into reality, we also want this to turn out to be true. more
Interview
While thinking that there are already great ideas and businesses around to bring forward new modes of mobility, it is a question of policy whether or not shared mobility will be a major part of how we get around. Browsing through international policies in the mobility domain, I came across the open source principles for shared mobility: these principles denote a high-level policy example more
Policy“The possibility to be mobile is a human right.” We have nothing to add to this one. Thank you Michael Sommer. more
Interview
Image by moovel Group GmbH
A project of the German moovel lab tells you how to build your own Open Data Cam enriched with real-time computer vision to collect data on truck traffic in front of your bedroom window, for example. Let’s have a quick look at what’s behind this! more
Technology
Hawthorne Tunnel, image by The Boring Company
Is there a completely new mode of transport? A step of evolution after the airplane? Elon Musk's brainchild Hyperloop is not only an experiment in transportation technology – it is also a new approach to bringing tech-intense ideas into being. more
TechnologyAn interesting approach for us is Yves Leterme's when he talks about bottom-up ownership for sustainable development. “Public Authorities alone won't establish change; in order for that to happen, you need the people on board." more
InterviewListen up. “Regardless of what we do, we have a responsibility towards a cleaner environment. Everyone can take small or big steps …”, argues Margo T. Oge. more
Interview
Image by digitaltrends.com
I found Smart Cities to be the hottest topic in modern discussions about the development of cities. Many research institutions predict that by 2050 more than 70% of the world's population will live in urban areas. That turning out to be true or not has little influence on the impact that cities have on the environment today. They are concentrated areas not only of people and buildings but more
Feature
All Things Open is more than an IT conference. With this year's theme, it wants to acknowledge and foster an inclusive and holistic view of open source developments by opening up the discussion to a growing community in developing countries and to local small businesses. I had a look on their website to reveal more about their approach. more
ConferenceHow to prototype Open Source Mobility? A group of industrial design students from the University of the Arts Berlin conducted experiments about micro mobility in public space in a weeklong design methods seminar and offers interesting insights to the practicality of mobility modes. The aim of the course was to use and adapt design research methods for the […] more
Workshop