Important to have an agile mindset

Connected SRS

Connected SRS was launched in 2018 and implemented by the City of Stockholm Development Administration (project manager) in close collaboration with the City Executive Office and the project’s partners RISE, Sensative, Metry and Sankt Erik Kommunikation, along with a large number of administrations and companies of the City of Stockholm.

Pilot tests of IoT solutions were conducted in the areas of resource flows in properties, green areas and parks as well as travel habits and mobility. The project partners have also developed a new IoT platform based on the Fiware standard. The project was run as a hub within the framework of IoT Sweden.

Anna Bondesson, what has it been like to manage and lead this project?

– Collaboration has been a key word. It is very much a matter of establishing a good dialogue based on trust and openness, and continuously developing a shared “language” and knowledge base. I believe it is about having the ability to have uncharged conversations between different partners and competencies in the project.

You used an agile approach in the project. Why?

– In this type of exploratory project, it is impossible to know what the end result should and will be at the time of project start. Progress and success are very much a matter of being able to revise and re-evaluate decisions and thoughts along the journey. Daring to choose a path and also realising that some things need to be shelved and dealt with at a later stage are also important for moving forward. Looking back, I realise we could have been even better at prioritising, and that’s a lesson I’ll take with me.

Could you describe some of the challenges of the project?

– A fundamental challenge was finding a reasonable and feasible level of innovation and development; finding compromises between the needs of the sustainability work at Stockholm Royal Seaport (Norra Djurgårdsstaden), the maturity of the market, and the development needs and interests of different parties. For example, in some of the pilots it was not possible to collect the data identified as most interesting or central to the sustainability work. We were then forced to compromise to move forward with more practical tests.
– It was also a matter of having “just the right amount” of long-term development perspective; syncing with the City’s central policies and the development of a central IoT platform while getting started with testing and practical solutions.

How did you manage to have “just the right amount” of long-term perspective?

– Once again, it is very much a matter of having continuous dialogue and collaboration. Putting together groupings of representatives from involved parties and affected actors in the City. Within the project, we had a coordination group that managed the continuous progress, priorities and direction. The pilots were conducted with the help of working groups made up of experts from relevant administrations and companies. The project also worked actively to establish points of contact and to raise issues that need to be addressed jointly in the City, across administrative and company boundaries. Communication is incredibly important.

What is important to consider when running innovation projects?

– Wow, that’s a big question! Obviously, there are many things to consider. I think an important prerequisite is to define where the project is in the innovation cycle. For example, in a pilot project, it is important to be clear about what the project is expected to contribute and how any continuation will be implemented and funded.
– In the middle of an exciting project, it is easy to put off these discussions and decisions. But without a plan for further development, there is a risk of the project stalling later on. It is also important that there is an understanding among all parties that the focus is on innovation and a shared journey of learning; that the development needs of different parties need to be addressed within the project.

Do you have any more insights from the project?

– I have a ton! I think the most central or overarching insight is that this type of research and innovation project needs to be seen as part of a long-term “learning journey”. SRS had a very ambitious vision. Many had hoped that we could move faster and deliver implementable IoT solutions more quickly.
– But there are so many interconnected parts that need to work together. Change takes time. The project has helped the City of Stockholm to make a knowledge shift in terms of how IoT can contribute to the sustainability work at Stockholm Royal Seaport (Norra Djurgårdsstaden), and the work required by the City’s administrations and companies.

Finally, what are you most proud of?

– That we have raised the maturity level of all parties and that there is a positive attitude towards the further development of IoT among the needs owners in the City of Stockholm. We have forged new relationships and increased understanding of each other’s development needs across administrative boundaries, which is very important for the continued work.