Combining the real and the digital worlds, technology from Siemens Xcelerator portfolio will form the backbone of the new neighbourhood in Berlin Spandau.
Siemens has announced it is investing €750m in the modernisation of Siemensstadt Square in Berlin to make it the "digital, sustainable, competitive city of the future".
Through collaboration with a number of project partners, Siemens will help transform the industrial site of more than 100 years in Berlin Spandau into an inclusive, urban district comprising production, research, learning, and living in one place.
Urban redevelopment site
Spanning an area of 76 hectares, Siemensstadt Square is set to be one of Europe’s largest urban redevelopment sites. The project will combine artificial intelligence, digital twins and other technologies from the Siemens Xcelerator platform to transform the area into an "engine for solid, healthy growth". Set for completion by 2035, total cost of the project is €4.5bn.
Intelligent digital twin technology sits at the heart of planning, optimisation and operation of the urban infrastructure, Siemens reports, which will comprise everything from renewable energy supply to sustainable building management.
By gradually building up a digital image of the future neighbourhood, Siemens claims, urban planning, construction and infrastructure data can be used multidimensionally and over the life cycle of the city district in a more efficient way, adding greater value and optimising sustainable outcomes. This intelligent technology also makes it possible to identify challenges at an early stage and to develop efficient solutions in a targeted manner.
“This project offers a clear way forward for other metropolises around the world that encounter similar challenges of how to modernise in a sustainable way”
Siemensstadt Square is a model for how urban development can be successfully shaped worldwide and a blueprint for the sustainable transformation of former industrial zones.” commented Matthias Rebellius, managing board member of Siemens, and CEO of Smart Infrastructure.
“We are very proud to be implementing such a wide range of Siemens technology across infrastructure, industry and transport within the district. This is a real example of how we are using technology to truly transform the everyday for every one of the 35,000 people who will live and work in Siemensstadt Square.”
The Energy Digital Twin from Siemens Smart Infrastructure has also been piloted to simulate the energy consumption of future phases at Siemensstadt Square, which will be realised in stages up to 2035.
To ensure that all of this energy comes from renewable sources, Siemens is working in collaboration with Berliner Wasserbetriebe and a local energy supplier, to develop Europe’s largest wastewater heat exchanger of its type. In combination with heat pumps, this system will supply the district with 100 per cent CO₂-neutral heating and cooling, with the electricity required for this generated 100 per cent from renewable energies, Siemens claims.
“It proves that by combining the real and digital worlds, sustainable urban development is even possible in historically grown structures – the technology exists”
Siemens is seeking to not only transform how people live and work within Siemensstadt, but also how they move. Public transportation, walkability and bikeability are the core focus of the sustainable mobility strategy for the district. This sustainable neighbourhood concept includes e-mobility, with up to 50 per cent of parking spaces set to be equipped with electric charging points from across the Siemens portfolio.
“This project offers a clear way forward for other metropolises around the world that encounter similar challenges of how to modernise in a sustainable way,” added Rebellius.
“It proves that by combining the real and digital worlds, sustainable urban development is even possible in historically grown structures – the technology exists and in Siemensstadt Square we will have a real-life example for everyone to experience first-hand.”