AI-Empowered Digital Manufacturing: Active Citizen Engagement

In the heart of Bavaria, the city of Aschaffenburg has taken a significant step forward in fostering creativity and dialogue with the successful conclusion of the Participation Festival, a key component of the Digital Manufacture (dima) project.

The event, which took place on July 5th during the Aschaffenburg Museum Night, saw the unveiling of several winning ideas that will shape the city's urban development. Among the winners was Stefanie Sachs, who won for her innovative idea, "Installation of a marble run in the Schoental". Ulla Kunkel-Kolb also triumphed with her proposal, "Drinking water fountains at the main station".

The dima, a project funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Digital Affairs' "Kommunal? Digital!" programme, uses new technologies to encourage citizen participation in urban development. It serves as a platform for co-creation, nurturing dialogue and creativity in Aschaffenburg.

The Participation Festival did not select a single winning idea but recognised several proposals in different categories as particularly worthy. Other winning ideas include the development of mobile wheelchair ramps, a selfie spot, greening of tree pits, and the installation of additional drinking water fountains.

Mayor and Digital Referent Eric Leiderer expressed his delight at the positive reception of citizen participation with AI. He stated, "The dima is a key component of our 'Dialog City' concept, an open, dialogue-oriented city that takes citizen ideas seriously, provides space for creativity, and uses new technologies intelligently."

The Digital Shop was the venue for the presentation of these winning ideas, with the Mayor and Digital Referent Eric Leiderer pictured with prize winners Stefanie Sachs and Ulla Kunkel-Kolb. The jury members who decided the prize winners of the participation festival are Barbara Minghetti, Chrysoline Dupont, Dorothea Hartmann, Ina Karr, Thomas de Mallet Burgess, and Fergus Sheil.

With a budget of up to 50,000 euros available for the implementation of the awarded contributions, Aschaffenburg is set to grow through dialogue, becoming a city where citizens can contribute their ideas for urban development supported by AI. The dima will continue to serve as a platform for co-creation in Aschaffenburg, making the concept of "Dialog City" tangible.