City Science Lab

What City Science Lab does

City Science Lab is a publicly-funded university research laboratory established in 2015 at HafenCity University Hamburg, Germany. It conducts transformative research on digital cities and urban transformation, developing digital tools that are applied and explored in both virtual and urban spaces. The lab serves municipal governments, federal ministries, UN organizations, academic institutions, and civil society across more than 15 countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia, with a primary focus on data-driven urban planning, citizen participation, climate adaptation, and smart city governance.

The lab's core technology portfolio centers on an integrated ecosystem of open-source digital tools. Connected Urban Twins (CUT) is a five-year flagship project (Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich) developing interoperable data-driven urban digital twins. The Digital Participation System (DIPAS) is described as the first media-independent application for informal citizen participation in planning projects. CoSI (Cockpit Social Infrastructure) provides a GIS-based planning support system bridging Hamburg's Urban Data Platform with municipal planners. Supporting infrastructure includes the Urban Data Hub, Urban Model Platform, PaKOMM (mixed-reality participation), and up:town (a participatory serious game for urban resilience). These tools incorporate AI/ML for NLP-based analysis of citizen input, satellite imagery analysis, and predictive climate risk modeling.

City Science Lab operates entirely on public research grants and institutional partnerships rather than commercial revenue. Funding sources include the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN), EU Horizon programs, the Volkswagen Foundation, and the German Federal Cultural Foundation. All developed solutions are shared as modular open-source for use by other cities and institutions. Distribution occurs through international partner networks (MIT Media Lab, UN-Habitat, UN OICT, sister labs in Taiwan, Mexico, Toronto, and Switzerland), academic publications, and conferences including the City Science Summit and Urban Digital Twins Conference. The lab has no venture capital, private equity, or independent institutional investment; it functions as a non-profit research unit within a public university structure.

Name

City Science Lab

Legal name

City Science Lab at HafenCity University Hamburg

Website

https://citysciencelab.hamburg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

City Science Lab is a publicly-funded research laboratory at HafenCity University Hamburg that develops open-source digital tools — including urban digital twins, citizen participation systems, and data platforms — for municipal governments, UN organizations, and academic partners across more than 15 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Planning Software / Smart City Digital Twin Platforms

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIANAJ

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Housing, Urban Planning & Community Development

SECONDARYEUAHAKAJ

Environmental Digital Twins & Predictive Analytics (Sensor Fusion, Forecasting, Optimization)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Data Management, Modeling & GIS/Remote Sensing

Keywords

• Urban digital twins
• Citizen participation platforms
• Urban data platforms
• Smart city research
• Participatory urban planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Public Funding: Operates as a university research lab primarily funded through public research grants from German federal and state governments, EU Horizon programs, and municipal funding. No commercial revenue model as the focus is on non-profit research and knowledge transfer.
2. International Development Projects: Implements international projects funded by German Federal Ministry for Environment (BMUKN), Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and EU Horizon funding for sustainable urban development in partner countries.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

City Science Lab develops open-source digital tools and platforms for data-driven urban planning, citizen participation, and climate-resilient city transformation. Its portfolio centers on urban digital twins (Connected Urban Twins), participatory planning systems (DIPAS), GIS-based planning cockpits (CoSI), and shared urban data infrastructure (Urban Data Hub, Urban Model Platform), applied through research projects in collaboration with municipalities, UN organizations, and academic partners.

Product overview

City Science Lab is a transformative research lab at HafenCity University Hamburg developing a portfolio of digital tools for urban planning and participatory urban transformation. The core product family includes the Connected Urban Twins (CUT) platform for data-driven urban digital twins, the Digital Participation System (DIPAS) as a media-independent citizen participation platform, and CoSI (Cockpit Social Infrastructure) as a centralized urban planning cockpit. These are supported by the Urban Data Hub — an urban data platform and competence center — and the Urban Model Platform serving as the central simulation infrastructure. Additional tools include PaKOMM for multimedia participation, the up:town serious game for urban resilience, DiDEK for construction communication, and Google AirView for hyperlocal air quality mapping. Research programs like UNITAC Hamburg, COSMOS, CARE4HH, VALORADA, Sinking Cities, MOVE21, Smart Region Lab, and Dar Safi apply these tools to specific domains including climate adaptation, energy transition, plastic waste management, and mobility. The portfolio functions as an integrated ecosystem where the Urban Data Hub and Urban Model Platform serve as shared infrastructure, and tools like DIPAS, CoSI, and up:town are applied across multiple research projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Connected Urban Twins (CUT) A joint five-year project of Hamburg, Leipzig, and Munich developing data-driven urban digital twins for integrated urban development. CUT develops digital twins from concrete use cases, promotes public-private cooperation, involves citizens as co-researchers, and creates modular open-source solutions for cross-city exchange.
• Digital Participation System (DIPAS) The first media-independent application for informal citizen participation in planning projects. DIPAS expands the CityScope city model into an integrated digital participation system usable online and on-site, merging the city's online participation tool with physical city models.
• Cockpit Social Infrastructure (CoSI) A centralized digital platform for urban planners that amalgamates vital regional statistical data, enabling users to test hypothetical scenarios and envisage results. Its GIS-based planning support system bridges Hamburg's Urban Data Platform with municipal planners.
• Urban Data Hub (UD-Hub) An urban data platform as a competence center driving the integration and networking of standardized data and web services for Hamburg on its way to becoming a Digital City. Implements city cockpits and scientific support for making urban data available to different user groups.
• Urban Model Platform Central urban infrastructure for simulation models, developed collaboratively by Hamburg State Agency for Geoinformation and Surveying and City Science Lab as part of the COSMOS and CUT projects. Serves as a backbone for modeling and simulation in urban digital twins.
• Participation Collaborative and Multimedia (PaKOMM) Multimedia participation project developing application-specific integrative solutions including mixed reality approaches via smartphone, tablet, and VR glasses, with gamification elements. Uses NLP techniques to analyze citizen input exceeding planning offices' analysis capacities.
• UNITAC Hamburg UN Innovation and Technology Accelerator for Cities — a collaboration between UN-Habitat, UN OICT, and HafenCity University Hamburg developing and implementing urban technologies that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through applied research at the intersection of urbanization, innovation, and technology.
• Collaborative Simulation and Modeling of Urban Systems (COSMOS) Project researching the creation, implementation, and application of simulation models and algorithms in urban development in collaboration with Hamburg State Agency for Geoinformation and Surveying. Further develops the Urban Model Platform both technically and strategically.
• DiDEK Baustelle Digital Data-Driven Decision-Making and Communication Tools project developing digital tools for communication, coordination, and public understanding of urban construction measures. Creates interactive maps, AI-supported chatbots, and digital storytelling tools based on the Hamburg Urban Data Platform.
• CARE4HH (Collaborative Alliance for Research on the Energy Transition in Hamburg) Collaborative research initiative advancing the energy transition in Hamburg through a cross-disciplinary and data-driven approach. Integrates energy system simulations into the city's digital planning tools and develops interactive visualizations for policy, infrastructure planning, and public engagement.
• up:town Serious Game A participatory simulation serious game enabling urban leaders, planners, researchers, and communities to co-create resilient futures through hands-on scenario building and collective decision-making using creative tools such as Lego bricks and modeling clay.
• Google AirView Hamburg Scientific project with Google and HafenCity University to measure, map, and publish hyperlocal air quality data in Hamburg using an all-electric vehicle equipped with sensors for PM2.5, NO, NO2, CO, CO2, and O3, producing 23 million data points from over 2 million measurement locations.
• Finding Places A 2016 cooperation project between HafenCity University Hamburg and the City of Hamburg where residents participated in workshops at CityScopes to search for public spaces suitable for constructing refugee accommodation for 20,000 refugees.
• VALORADA (Validated Local Risk Actionable Data for Adaptation) EU Horizon-funded project developing FAIR and customizable data-manipulation tools integrating climate datasets with locally-sourced socioeconomic, demographic, and Earth-Observation data for climate risk assessment in five European regions: Central Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, France, and Czechia.
• Dar Safi Bahari Safi Municipal Plastic Waste Management project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, combating plastic waste pollution through systematic, sustainable, and scalable solutions including a Material Recovery Facility and structured waste collection system to prevent 325 tonnes of plastic from entering the ocean annually.
• MOVE21 European Commission-funded innovation project transforming European cities into smart zero emissions nodes for mobility and logistics, aiming at 30% reduction of transport-related emissions by 2030 through 15 transport-related innovations across Oslo, Gothenburg, Hamburg, Munich, Rome, and Bologna.
• Smart Region Lab (SRL) Founded in 2021 at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts as a cooperation with CityScienceLab Hamburg. Uses data-based visualization and interaction methods (RegionScope, MobileScope) with AR/VR applications to support sustainable development in Central Switzerland's urban and alpine regions.
• Sinking Cities Art-science project examining how cultural heritage is mobilized as a resource in climate adaptation processes in coastal cities facing rising sea levels. Develops and conducts real-life laboratories in Jakarta, Alexandria, and Bremen.

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability13 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Technical University of MunichcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Collaborates closely with Technical University of Munich on the Connected Urban Twins project, working on data representation and technical topics for urban digital twins development.
• Center for Scalable Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (ScaDS.AI)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Partnership with ScaDS.AI in Dresden and Leipzig for the Connected Urban Twins project, focusing on AI and data analytics capabilities.
• Hamburg State Agency for Geoinformation and Surveying (LGV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative project implementing urban data platform as competence center for Hamburg's digital city transformation. CSL provides scientific support and prototypical realization of city cockpits.
• MIT Media LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term cooperation with MIT Media Lab enabling technology exchange and international scientific network with similarly organized labs in Taiwan, Mexico, and Toronto.
• UN-HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN-Habitat collaborates on UNITAC Hamburg for development and implementation of urban technologies contributing to Sustainable Development Goals.
• UN Office for ICT (OICT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners in UNITAC Hamburg initiative for digital technologies for sustainable urban development under the UN-wide Sustainable Urbanization Strategy.
• City of MunichcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected Urban Twins project partner working on data standards and transferability of digital participation tools like DIPAS to other German cities.
• City of LeipzigcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnected Urban Twins project partner collaborating on urban digital twin development and cross-city knowledge transfer.
• City of OslocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOVE21 project coordinator and innovator city in C40 and European Green Capital 2019, leading transformation of cities into smart zero emissions nodes.
• Cities of Gothenburg, Hamburg, Munich, Rome and BolognacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean cities collaborating in MOVE21 project to achieve 30% reduction of transport-related emissions by 2030 through 15 transport-related innovations.
• German Federal Cultural FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperates on CityClimate meets CreativeCoding artistic-scientific research experiment on climate, data and sustainable urban planning.
• Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported CityClimate meets CreativeCoding project with climate expertise for artistic-scientific research collaboration.
• Research Institute for Sustainability Potsdam (RIFS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Sinking Cities project and evaluates CityClimate meets CreativeCoding project for transformative sustainability research.
• Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded Smart Region Lab in 2021 at Lucerne University as cooperation project, using data-based visualization methods for sustainable development in Swiss regions.
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Dar Safi project implementing municipal plastic waste management in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
• Ardhi University (ARU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Dar Safi project contributing to plastic waste management research in Tanzania.
• Bremen Overseas Research and Development Association e.V. (BORDA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partner in Dar Safi project supporting sustainable waste management solutions.
• SweepSmart B.V. (SWS)majorTechnology or IntegrationConsortium partner in Dar Safi project providing technology solutions for waste collection.
• Competence Centre for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency (CC4E)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads CARE4HH collaborative research initiative bringing together academic partners for energy transition in Hamburg.
• Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics (ITT) at TU HamburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in CARE4HH project combining engineering thermodynamics with spatial planning tools for energy transition.
• Stromnetz Hamburg GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner in CARE4HH project for energy system simulations and data integration on Hamburg Urban Data Platform.
• Gasnetz Hamburg GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner in CARE4HH project contributing to gas network data and infrastructure planning.
• Hamburg Energiewerke GmbHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner in CARE4HH project for energy transition and infrastructure development.
• GERICS Climate Service Center of Helmholtz-Zentrum HereoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates VALORADA EU Horizon project developing FAIR data manipulation tools for climate change adaptation across European regions.
• Region of Central GreecemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in VALORADA project for climate risk assessment and data tool development.
• Gabrovo and Burgas Municipalities (Bulgaria)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partners in VALORADA project developing climate impact chains and risk indicators.
• Molise Region (Italy)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in VALORADA project for climate adaptation data tools.
• Region of Occitanie (France)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partner in VALORADA project for climate risk data integration.
• Cities of Prerov and Mladá Boleslav (Czechia)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partners in VALORADA project for local climate adaptation tools.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MIT Senseable City Lab: MIT research lab using data-driven and sensor-based approaches to study urban environments. Direct peer as City Science Lab explicitly models itself on MIT's sister lab structure and co-hosts the City Science Summit series.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/citysciencelab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about City Science Lab