The European Citiverses 
Uniting for Inclusiveness project

A collaborative innovation project co-funded by the EU, bringing together 12 partners from across Europe, working towards cities that are smarter, more inclusive, and more human-centered.

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Our partners

The European Citiverses Uniting for Inclusiveness project is built with a cross-industrial team throughout Europe. Together we are building a new digital layer in urban life, connecting people, places, and services through AI-enhanced digital twins.

Beneficiaries

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Göteborg & Co_svart
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Associated Partners

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Third Party Partner

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Project Owner

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Technical Coordinator

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FAQ

How long is the project going on for?
The project is running for 30 months from October 2024 to March 2027, with ongoing testing, learning, and knowledge transfer throughout the process.
Who are the project beneficiaries?
European Citiverses Uniting for Inclusiveness is an innovation project co-funded by the EU, bringing together 12 partners from across Europe. Read more about the partners and watch the film from the project kick off here >
Where is the project being piloted?
The pilot city is Gothenburg, Sweden, and its highly developed digital twin – Virtual Gothenburg.
What is a digital twin?
A digital twin is a replica of the physical city. Think of it as a digital version of a real city – streets, buildings, trees, infrastructure – all mapped in detail and enriched with data.
What makes the digital twin useful?
A digital twin doesn’t just look like the city – it thinks like the city. It stores and describes information about the city's physical objects and features. It could also be connected to real-time data from sensors and other sources, reflecting what’s happening in the physical environment. This makes it a powerful tool for simulating and planning.
Why has the City of Gothenburg developed a local digital twin?
The local digital twin is primarily developed as a foundation and tool for smarter, more efficient, and improved planning and management of the city. However, it can also be used for educational purposes, by the tourism industry, businesses, or for public dialogue about the city and what it is and could become. The major societal challenges we face — such as climate change, integration, energy needs, housing, and transportation — place increasing demands on the city. This means we must find new and smarter ways to plan for and manage these challenges.
How was the local digital twin Virtual Gothenburg developed?
The digital twin is built on existing geographic data (geodata) from the City Planning Authority. Through parametric modeling, the entire municipal area can be automatically generated and constructed from this data. The digital model is then visualized in a game engine, allowing it to be explored in a realistic way — either from above or at street level.
What is the Citiverse?
The Citiverse is more than a digital twin – it’s a new way for cities to engage their citizens through immersive, interactive technology. By combining real-time urban data with XR and AI, the Citiverse allows people to experience future scenarios, understand complex challenges, and participate directly in testing ideas and making better choices. It helps ensure the city becomes more inclusive, accessible, and sustainable for everyone.
Which projects are part of the Citiverse initiative in Europe?
The four EU funded Citiverse projects are x-CITE, SENSE, European Citiverses Uniting for Inclusiveness, and 3DxVERSE.
How is this project different from other smart city initiatives?
This project focuses specifically on inclusiveness – not just tech. It places strong emphasis into finding the needs in diverse communities to strengthen the European digital transformation in cities that leaves no one behind.
What is universal design?
Universal design means designing products, services and places to be usable by everyone – no matter differences in age or ability. By integrating universal design into the digital twin, the project explores the possibility for everyone to navigate and interact with the urban environment on equal terms.
What does the data collection in the project look like?
First, surveys were conducted with families with children with a wide range of needs, focusing on what is most important when visiting new environments such as events, amusement parks, and museums.

Second, external research was gathered, specifically addressing families with children with disabilities and their priorities when traveling to new destinations or navigating urban spaces.

Finally — and perhaps most importantly — in-depth interviews and activities were carried out with seven families from this target group. These families provided detailed insights into their needs and mapped their real-life experiences at events, including the use of different types of digital tools during these occasions.
When will the first prototype be launched?
A first version will be launched in Figma in October 2025 with a mock-up video. The alpha prototype will be launched in January 2026.  
How is the prototype constructed?
The system is built on a hybrid deployment model combining managed 3D rendering infrastructure with cloud-hosted application services. A detailed city-scale 3D environment is streamed to end users via a central routing layer that distributes client sessions to available rendering instances. Access is provided through a standard web browser, with no installation required. 
 
User interaction is coordinated through externally hosted services, enabling structured navigation, contextual overlays, and annotated points of interest. 
 
The platform is designed to support use cases such as inclusive urban design, accessibility evaluation, stakeholder engagement, and spatial planning. It allows remote users to explore and assess built environments in real time. 
What needs could the prototype address?
  • Explore environments before visiting 
  • Preview crowd levels, lighting, sounds, and routes  
  • Access enhanced information on site  
  • Personalise the experience to meet your needs  
  • Use AI-supported navigation to feel confident and informed 
How can I follow the project?
You can stay updated via the project's social media channels or newsletter:
How can I get in touch with the team behind the project?
All contact details are available on the Home page. Feel free to reach out with questions, feedback, or ideas. 
Who are the potential end-users and customers for the prototype?
City authorities, urban planners, mobility providers, accessibility experts, researchers, technology partners across Europe and not only.
How does the project aim to ensure long-term sustainability of the prototype?
By co-developing scalable business models, mapping market needs, and engaging public-private stakeholders from the start.
What role does inclusiveness play in the business model?
Inclusiveness is a value driver. Solutions that prioritize accessibility and user diversity have stronger policy alignment and wider adoption potential.
How will the project measure business impact?
Through KPIs such as replication interest, stakeholder engagement, potential funding attracted, and use case adoption readiness.
Are there commercialization opportunities beyond Gothenburg?
Yes. The prototype is designed as a transferable concept that can be adapted and adopted by other European cities with similar urban challenges.
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