Cisco Helps to Build the Social, Safe and Healthy City of Eindhoven

Eindhoven, the Netherlands– 7 December, 2012 – Today, Cisco and various partners will come together in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, to sign a declaration of intent to strengthen the collaborative efforts in developing the Brainport Region of Eindhoven. There are three areas of focus: the delivery of more efficient care services specifically geared to meet current demographic trends including the growth in the ageing population; the delivery of improved and more cost-effective municipal services for private citizens and businesses; and the delivery of a city that can technically cater the needs of its population through the provision of a top-quality working, living and leisure environment, starting with the city district of Strijp-S. Three projects in this urban development program are due to start beginning next year.

The mayor of Eindhoven and chair of the Brainport Foundation, Rob van Gijzel, comments: “In 2011 the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) declared our region the smartest region in the world in recognition of, amongst other things, the cooperation between the business community, knowledge institutes and local government, our innovative strength, and the roll-out of a broadband network. But if we are to stay in the race as an economically and socially strong region, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. So, we must continue energetically with the innovative deployment of ICT for the benefit of business and society. Collaboration with companies such as Cisco is essential in this scenario.”

Wim Elfrink, executive vice president, Industry Solutions & chief globalisation officer at Cisco, adds: “Cisco’s collaboration with Eindhoven fits in perfectly with our vision for Smart+Connected Communities, using intelligent networks to enable economic, social and environmental sustainability. Our work with the Brainport Foundation focuses on three things: enable the delivery of efficient care services better suited to an aging population; enable the delivery of improved, cost-effective and accessible municipal services to citizens and businesses; and transform Strijp-S by using information services to make the city district smarter, safer and more attractive for residents and businesses. We believe that together we can create a sociable, safe and healthy Eindhoven city.”

Three projects scheduled to start in January 2013:

• Healthcare – Together with Cisco, the Slimmer Leven Cooperative and several of its members, including care providers Lunet zorg, RSZK, and Zorgboog, will lead a project to develop a more streamlined ICT infrastructure. The care providers will share the technical infrastructure and data so that clients get more efficient and effective care across the entire healthcare supply chain. Particular attention will be paid to elderly clients in anticipation of the growing demand for care services for the ageing population in the region and the shortage of professional caregivers. This shared ICT infrastructure will vastly improve communication between the clients and their caregivers, family and friends and get them more involved in their own care.

• Urban development – Cisco and its partner Park Strijp Beheer (a public-private partnership between VolkerWessels and the Municipality of Eindhoven) will co-develop an intelligent digital infrastructure for Strijp-S, a former Philips site, now the focus of an urban renewal program, and the new creative heart of Eindhoven, where living, work and leisure go hand in hand. Strijp-S will be made even smarter, safer and more attractive for the residents and businesses. The improved information services are expected to encourage the residents of Strijp-S to get more involved in their community. This project will provide a blueprint for the city of Eindhoven. First an ICT master plan will be drawn up which will define the strategy for offering new services in the area, the required architecture, and a financial and operational model for the implementation.

• More accessible services – Cisco will help the Municipality of Eindhoven to save on its ICT infrastructure and make the municipal services more accessible to the public. Together they will compile a road map on how to use ICT in smarter ways and make it work more efficiently in municipal business operations and public services. The realization of a shared service center—Virtual Citizen Services—will enable a flexible response to future questions from the municipality and its partners.

About Cisco

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