Smart City
City of Beckum presents digital brochure and short film
Under the motto "Connecting people - shaping Beckum", the administration presents selected digital projects in a digital brochure that have already been implemented or launched. Some examples are illustrated in a short video.
"Beckum is on its way to becoming a smart city. Our brochure and video show where we are and where we want to go in order to make everyday life easier for Beckum residents, businesses and organisations, to remove barriers and make processes more efficient," explains Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich.
One of the central projects is the digital citizens' office, which makes it possible to submit numerous applications online and independently of the administration's service hours. If a personal appointment is required, this can also be conveniently arranged digitally to avoid waiting times at the town hall. In addition, tickets for municipal cultural events as well as admission tickets, vouchers and courses for the swimming pools can be purchased online.
The Meldoo app provides citizens with a digital tool to quickly and easily report street damage, defective lighting or illegally disposed waste in the city, for example. The digital childcare centre navigator enables parents to get a quick overview of the childcare options for young children and to register their child directly for a selected childcare centre.
Visitors can explore Beckum and the town's history on their own via their smartphone with Rumskedi the cat, who comes to life thanks to the camera function and augmented reality, using a GPS signal.
Digital services are also being expanded for companies: Business registrations, cancellations and re-registrations can already be completed online. In addition, the town of Beckum has applied for the funding project "ReNET-EV - Regional grid-friendly energy networks in industrial estates" with the "Auf dem Tigge..." industrial estate via the Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung im Kreis Warendorf. The aim of the project is to analyse energy requirements and potential with the help of a digital twin and to develop intelligent, digital supply concepts on this basis. Implementation will start next year.
Despite the progress already made, Mayor Michael Gerdhenrich sees a need for further action: "In some areas, the basic requirements for digital working must first be created, for example in the area of building regulations. Old files are currently being digitised here". With the document management system that has already been introduced in several specialised services, the city will work more efficiently in future than with previous isolated solutions. Documents can be found more quickly, approval processes are simplified and procedures are more traceable - while at the same time saving paper and costs.
"Much has already been achieved. We want to continue on our path to becoming a smart city with a clear focus on quality of life and humanity and continue to bundle potential," concluded the mayor.