The Smart Urban Security and Event Resilience project SURE is launching its first call for agile experiments in November 2020. For companies, it is an opportunity to offer their sensor and analytics solutions for agile experimenting in the real urban environment and as a part of the SURE situation awareness system.
With the agile experiments, SURE is looking for smart tech solutions for safety and security challenges identified in Tampere, Finland by the project specialists. There has been a close cooperation between local event organisers, Tampere Region safety and security authorities and the SURE project. Together they have assessed threats and risks that need to be managed in order to considerably improve safety and security in Tampere.
– All participants have been eager to develop new technologies and find practical solutions that could be implemented without delay, says Senior Business Advisor, Safety and Security Petri Koskinen of Business Tampere.
Experimenting in real environment
The SURE project is developing a situation awareness system – a solution that combines data from multiple sensors into a shared situation picture. AI-assisted data analytics helps to monitor the data and detect anomalies that might be signs of potential threats.
Insta Group and Nokia are the technology partners in the SURE project and will collaborate with the companies that are chosen for agile experimenting. The SURE system is based on the Insta Blue Aware (IBA) situational platform, and the chosen companies need to be able to integrate their sensor and analytics solutions into IBA.
For the companies, agile experimenting is just what it says: an opportunity to test and improve their solutions, and examine their compatibility with the situational awareness system. The maximum price of an agile experiment is 10 000 euros + VAT. Several experiments may be started in the first call and there is chance for another call in spring 2021.
– Technological expertise is strong in the Tampere Region, and we expect the call to gather many interesting and innovative solutions for the safety and security needs of smart cities, says Koskinen.
Sensors and analytics
What kind of sensors does the project need for the first experiments? Devices for detection of heat sources or gases, for example. Monitoring sound is a clearly identified need: the SURE system needs data from both the normal sound environment and the anomalies (like loud noises) that may indicate danger.
Weather is an important factor in many different situations and thus weather data is needed for the SURE system. Should the weather be sensored locally or is the meteorological data from open sources sufficient, that will be examined.
As for the analytics, the SURE project is developing means to utilise the data from the already existing public space surveillance cameras. AI-assisted analytics would help to detect anomalies in video feeds; things like strong movement, violent behaviour or a person lying on the ground. Other types of sensors will need analytics respectively.
– With sensors and analytics we’ll enable a comprehensive situation awareness that is a basis for launching the appropriate measures in any situation and minimising the consequences, says Koskinen.
Targeting city centre and busiest event venues
The Tampere Hall is the largest conference and concert centre in the Nordic countries, and a possible first site for a SURE agile experiment. There are events throughout the year and thus a possibility to experiment in the winter time, too.
– Tampere Hall is interested in a movable sensor that could be used inside the building, in the adjoining park area, as well as in the other locations, says Koskinen.
The Central Square, Ratina festival park and the route between them form an important area as regards to the event-related urban security in Tampere. Särkänniemi Theme Park and Event Beach are interested in finding new solutions, and school safety and security are also addressed in the project. Detailed needs and challenges will be available when the call for agile experiments opens.
The SURE (Smart Urban Security and Event Resilience) project is led by the City of Tampere. Other partners are Nokia, Insta and Securitas; Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences; Business Tampere and The Baltic Institute of Finland. The project has been granted MEUR 3.2 of funding by the EU’s Urban Innovative Actions initiative, which is an ERDF-funded initiative of the European Commission.
More info
Petri Koskinen
Senior Business Advisor, Safety and Security
petri.koskinen@businesstampere.com
+358 40 824 7716
