Benefit from a unique collaboration between six public and research partners across Flanders and Brussels, supporting you in developing and testing AI-driven and digital smart-city solutions in real urban environments.
You can experiment, validate, and refine your technology under authentic operational conditions, with a strong focus on mobility, traffic management, and urban logistics.
By working directly with public authorities, you gain access to real-world infrastructure, operational datasets, and expert support, including deployment opportunities in Mechelen or through the mobility infrastructure of Brussels Mobility.
You are supported throughout your entire experimentation journey with advanced expertise in AI, edge and trustworthy AI, digital twins, and regulatory compliance to help ensure successful public-sector deployment.
Tap into real‑time and historical traffic datasets from across Flanders and Brussels. With these rich datasets, you can train, refine, and benchmark your AI models using real‑world complexity.
Plug your technology into a real environment and receive hands‑on feedback from citizens, operators, city employees or companies. This helps you understand how your solution performs in real workflows and accelerates your path toward adoption.
Understand how your AI performs on different edge devices. You get recommendations on the best edge hardware for your application, reducing technical risk and speeding up deployment.
Leverage our digital twin infrastructure to model real-world environments and dynamics. Run what-if scenarios, evaluate the impact and make informed decisions. Paired with the CAVE’s immersive environments, you gain a powerful space to test, iterate, and feel your idea.
Support with setting up real-world testing of AI solutions in the public domain.
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CAVE: Computer Augmented Virtual Environment.
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Integration with and access to data spaces (e.g. on traffic measurements)
Regulatory and Compliance advisory services.
>View service
Install and/or test novel solutions in the city of Mechelen
Deploy and test traffic solution in a real-life traffic environment
Access to a wide range of traffic data for AI training
AI Sensing: Virtual sensor simulation and data visualization
EdgeLab: feasibility study for optimal edge deployment
City-powered feedback & ecosystem engagement for urban innovation
Install and/or test novel solutions in the city of Mechelen
Access to a wide range of traffic data for AI training
CAVE: Computer Augmented Virtual Environment
City-powered feedback & ecosystem engagement for urban innovation
EdgeLab: benchmark your AI algorithm across edge devices
We identify which parts of our TEF are relevant to your case and which partners should be involved
We identify which parts of our TEF are relevant to your case and which partners should be involved
We co-define your experiment with the relevant partners
Contract negotiations
Run experiment
You receive actionable results
Thomas De Meester
E-mail: thomas.demeester@imec.be
SUCCESS STORY. The City of Mechelen launched an innovation challenge inviting companies to develop AI-driven solutions to improve cycling safety, offering funding and real-world testing opportunities. As part of the Citcom.ai network, the city acted as a live testbed, with Belgian scale-up XenomatiX mapping over 50 km of key bike routes using advanced lidar technology. The initiative highlights Mechelen’s ambition to foster innovation while enhancing its cycling infrastructure through data-driven insights.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.