The challenge proposed by APBA was awarded the last edition of the FIWARE Zone IoT Challenge.
Their challenge, entitled “Advanced platform for environmental management and sustainability in the Port of Algeciras”, was focused on finding allies and innovative technology solutions to obtain real-time data about the surrounding environmental factors (e.g. air and water quality, and noise, light and odour pollution), and to detect logistic issues within the port area and in their immediate vicinity.
FIWARE Zone is an initiative launched jointly by the Department of Economy, Knowledge, Businesses and Universities within the regional Council of Andalucía, and Telefónica. It is focused on supporting and promoting digital transformation of companies, using technologies such as IoT, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence with FIWARE Zone as a linking thread. IoT Challenge 2020 is one of its anchors, which enables, through challenges posted by sponsors, the development of projects applied to strategic settings and based on real issues. In particular, this edition aimed for companies to provide FIWARE technology solutions to challenges experienced by the public sector in any of the following areas: smart cities, smart ports, smart logistics, Industry 4.0, Smart Agrifood and e-Health.
In September, that is, at the time of completion of the deadline to submit proposals, a jury assesses all the applications, and 9 companies were short-listed: Hiades, HOP Ubiquitous, IoT Algeciras, ProDevelop, Purple Blob, SeaPort Solutions, Secmotic, Softcrits and Telprosur. Later, an assessment committee integrated by members of the regional Council of Andalucía, Telefónica and APBA, selected HOP Ubiquitous as the winner. This decision was
formalised in a ceremony held in Málaga, within the framework of GreenCities 11th Urban Intelligence and Sustainability Forum.
The regional Council of Andalucía and Telefónica will provide the winner with an amount of up to 100,000 euros to develop their proposed solution. Additionally, the solution will be implemented in the Port of Algeciras and integrated in FIWARE, and the data generated from it will be made visible via the Smart Specialisation Platform for Regions. APBA
will have access to the IoT platform and to said data, and hence will be able to use and test the results given by the solution for a year and for free.
About IoT and FIWARE
The Internet of Things (IoT) can be defined as a set of physical objects (things) with integrated sensors, software and other technologies with the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems through the Internet. These devices could be anything from everyday household items like refrigerators, vehicles, footwear or clothing items, to industrial tools.
And when we talk about FIWARE, we refer to an open and standard software platform promoted by the EU, which provides tools and an innovation ecosystem for entrepreneurs to create new applications and services on the Internet. Although FIWARE is a generic platform, it is specially useful to enable the concept of Smart City as it promotes collaborative development, technologies such as IoT, cloud computing and open data.
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