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On June 20, the LOEWE Center emergenCITY presented itself at the Hessentag in Bad Vilbel at the stand of the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture (HMWK). emergenCITY showed how digital cities can be made more crisis-proof and what measures citizens can take for personal crisis prevention.

A particular crowd-puller was the interactive serious game “Krisopolis”, in which visitors had to slip into the role of city dwellers via smartphone or tablet and make decisions in crisis situations such as prolonged power outages. Questions such as “How long will my supplies last?” or “Should I help my neighbor?” encouraged people to think about their own crisis preparation. Science Minister Timon Gremmels and State Secretary Christoph Degen also tested the game and showed interest in the research work.

Another highlight was the presentation of the advertising pillar 4.0, an innovative means of communication in the event of a disaster. The column, which is equipped with photovoltaics and a methanol fuel cell, can continue to disseminate important information and warnings even if conventional warning systems fail. An initial prototype has already been successfully tested in Darmstadt. Actor Hans-Joachim Heist, who also visited the stand, was also impressed by the advertising pillar.

Digital Minister Kristina Sinemus also informed herself about the projects on site and emphasized the importance of digital resilience in times of crisis. She is committed to the establishment of a national center for digital resilience in Hesse and supports the new transfer and application center DiReX (Digital Resilience Xchange), which aims to transfer research results from emergenCITY into practical applications.