his report summarises the e-government context in Bremerhaven, based on interviews with staff from the city, and identifies factors that they feel shape their local e-government context and their involvement in the Smart Cities project. The local e-government environment varies tremendously across the North Sea Region of the EU, with municipal strategies being shaped by very different national, regional and local policy contexts and political and technological agendas. This is the first of a series of six reports summarising the local e-government environment in six municipalities from six different countries who are participating in the Smart Cities Interreg IVb project.

1. Understanding e-government
in Bremerhaven
Summary & Context
The local e-government environment varies tremendously across the
North Sea Region of the EU, with municipal strategies being shaped by
very different national, regional and local policy contexts and political Project Context Map
and technological agendas. This series of reports summarises the local No.1
e-government environment in six municipalities from six different countries
who are participating in the Smart Cities Interreg IVb project. The reports
allow project partners to review their local e-government context, and helps
us identify to common factors across project partners, along with areas of
difference between partners. This report summarises the e-government
context in Bremerhaven, based on interviews with staff from the city, and
identifies factors that they feel shape their local e-government context and
their involvement in the Smart Cities project.
As well as a narrative description of the context, this report contains two
diagrams and a supporting table:
• The main policy drivers for Bremerhaven
• Those projects most relevant to Smart Cities in Bremerhaven
• Details of the entities mentioned including links to source material,
in English where available.
The information in this document is derived from publically available
descriptions supplemented by desk-based research and information from Key Facts:
Bremerhaven.
Bremerhaven
The Smart Cities Project City within federal state (Land)
Figure 1 illustrates the organisations that Bremerhaven has identified of Bremen in Germany
as being significant to the City’s involvement in the Smart Cities project, (a federal republic).
showing the strategies and drivers.
Populations:
The main top level driver for Bremerhaven’s participation in the project City – 115 000
(along with all project partners) is the INTERREG IVB North Sea State – 664 000
Programme, funded by the European Union (EU).
Germany – 81 758 000
The INTERREG initiative is designed to strengthen economic and social
cohesion throughout the European Union, by fostering the balanced
development of the continent through cross-border, transnational and
interregional cooperation. A principal aim of the Programme is to expand the
scope of territorial cooperation and focus on high quality projects in innovation,
the environment, accessibility, and sustainable and competitive communities.
The 2007-2013 Programme connects regions from seven countries around
the North Sea, incorporating policy level planning and the long lasting and
tangible effects of projects. The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013
works with cutting edge policy areas in regional development through
transnational projects.
Smart Cities is one of the projects funded through the programme. The
general aim of the Smart Cities project is to create an innovation network
between governments and academic partners leading to excellence in the
domain of the development and take-up of e-services. Bremerhaven’s
involvement in the project’s work is divided between 2 work packages:
customer services (WP3) and wireless services (WP4). Bremerhaven is
not taking part in the WP5 workpackage, customer profiling.

2. Regional Development
Europe
INTERREG IVB
European Union
TESTA
Completed 2008
Fed. Ministry
of the Interior
Data Protection Deutschland
Germany
Prevention of crime Online
Governance
Fed. Commissioner Reduction
for IT in bureacracy
Governance
Effectiveness
Digitisation
Land Bremen
Free Hanseatic eGovernment
City of Bremen Strategy
OSCI
Control Centre
Finance
ICT Management ADV KoopA
Bürgerservice
BoS:
Bremen online
Wireless City
Virtual City
Bremerhaven
Effectiveness
UAS
Digitisation
Bremerhaven
City of Bremerhaven
eTropolis
BIS
Smart Cities
b.i.t
Fig 1:
Main drivers underpinning Bremerhaven’s involvement
NB All items are linked to or supporting Smart Cities

3. National / Federal level - Germany
The Federal Ministry of the Interior is responsible for two of the pillars on which
the information society rests: the comprehensive use of information technology to
modernize the public administration, and the security of information technology.
An investment in IT use in public agencies is an investment in modernising
the state. Federal programmes to modernise the public administration and to
reduce bureaucracy rely on the use of modern information technology. Secure
communication is a major driver, with the eGovernment Strategy being influenced
by the results of the TESTA project which completed in 2008.
The Commissioner for IT is responsible for national e-government strategy will
create a common umbrella of a federal e-government in Germany. The cooperation
of federal, state and local levels plays an equally important role, concerning the
issues of trust, security on the Internet, effectiveness and efficiency, privacy,
transparency, and e-participation.
State (Bundesland) of Bremen
The State of Bremen consists of the two cities: the Free Hanseatic City of
Bremen and the City of Bremerhaven, with about 70 km distance between them.
The State of Bremen is surrounded by the state of Lower Saxony. This “2-cities in
1 state structure” is unique in Germany. The Senat is the government of Bremen;
the Mayor is president of the Senat and has the function of a prime minister.
The Centralised IT management and e-government unit located within
the departments of the Senator of Finance is central to E-government and is
responsible for policy issues, strategic issues and for overall coordination with the
Unit, “New Media” at the Senator for Finance.
The Cooperation Committee ADV (ADV KoopA), a Federal project of all German
States, is a body that is jointly agreed on common principles in the use of
information and communication technology (ICT) and major ICT projects in public
administration.
Bremen online Services (BOS KG), is a public company owned by the State
of Bremen, providing software for legally binding and secure transfer over the
internet of data relating to public administration, justice and economy.
City of Bremerhaven
Bremerhaven’s Smart Cities involvement resulted from the INTERREG IIIB
eTropolis project, a concept study to explore the virtual community as a reflection
of the real city with the assumption that on the basis of a shared service and
communication environment, citizens, businesses and organizations should be
able to exchange information, ideas and resources and develop joint projects.
Figure 2 illustrates that within the City Council (Magistrat), Magistratskanzlei
Dpt. 6 is responsible for policy issues, strategic issues and for overall coordination
with the ICT Unit. The city-owned company b.i.t. is the Department MK5 at the
Magistrat Bremerhaven and works closely together with BOS KG.
The Bürgerservice (Citizens Services) is a list of online services offered by the
City Administration
The administration of Bremerhaven relies on b.i.t to support the core business
is the operation of economic enterprises of the municipal network, and the care
of about 1500 users. The b.i.t. also brings technologies and services to the
free market where its main activities are e-government solutions for the digital
signature card.

4. BIS (the Bremerhaven Economic Development Company) is the key contact for
all companies in the city, for investors and for start-ups. BIS is supported by both
the city of Bremerhaven and the State of Bremen. There are 3 divisions within
BIS:
• business development
• infrastructural development
• tourist development/marketing
Commissioner
of IT
Reduction in
Bremen State Bureaucracy
BoS
eGovernment
Strategy
OSCI
Control
Centre
Programmes &
Bremerhaven
UAS Projects
Strategy
Online Services
Unit
eTropolis
Bremerhaven iArchitecture
Magistrat- Sustainability Smart Cities WP3
Kanzlei
Target Groups
Social City
b.i.t Competitiveness
City of Science
Wireless City
Department of
Economic Dev.
BIS Smart Cities WP4
Fig 2:
Projects in Bremerhaven linked to Smart Cities

5. Source information
The table below gives descriptions of projects and bodies related to Bremerhaven’s
involvement in Smart Cities, together with links for further information (some may
be in German).
Name: Smart Cities Table 1
Details of significant entities
www.smartcities.info
The project aims to understand which e-services services work best and why; it
will facilitate transfer of e-Government successes across national borders; it will
identify and support the real transformational impacts of such transfer of good
practices on local government; it will equip decision makers with the knowledge
and ambition to achieve further innovation in the delivery of e-enabled public
services; and will engage national authorities in this ambition. At the European
level, the project will support the creation and growth of communities of practice
across the NSR building organisational commitment to and capacity for inter-
regional government service sharing. Smart Cities will raise the bar in many
aspects.
Name: INTERREG IVB North Sea
www.northsearegion.eu/ivb/home
The Interreg initiative is designed to strengthen economic and social cohesion
throughout the European Union, by fostering the balanced development of the
continent through cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation.
The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 works with cutting edge policy
areas in regional development through transnational projects.
A principal aim of the Programme is to expand the scope of territorial
cooperation and focus on high quality projects in innovation, the environment,
accessibility, and sustainable and competitive communities.
The 2007-2013 Programme connects regions from seven countries around the
North Sea, incorporating policy level planning and the long lasting and tangible
effects of projects.
Name: (S)TESTA
www.ec.europa.eu/idabc/en/document/2097
The need for tight security may sometimes appear to clash with the need
to exchange information effectively. STESTA constitutes the European
Community’s own private network, isolated from the Internet and allows officials
from different Ministries to communicate at a trans-European level (up to EU
restricted) in a safe and prompt way.
Name: The Federal Ministry of the Interior of Germany
www.en.bmi.bund.de
The Federal Ministry of the Interior is responsible for two of the pillars on which the
information society rests: the comprehensive use of information technology to
modernize the public administration, and the security of information technology.
An investment in IT use in public agencies is an investment in modernising
the state. Federal programmes to modernise the public administration and to
reduce bureaucracy rely on the use of modern information technology.

6. Name: Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology
www.en.bmi.bund.de
The Federal Ministry of the Interior is responsible for two of the pillars on which the
information society rests: the comprehensive use of information technology to
modernize the public administration, and the security of information technology.
An investment in IT use in public agencies is an investment in modernising
the state. Federal programmes to modernise the public administration and to
reduce bureaucracy rely on the use of modern information technology.
Name: Deutschland Online
www.deutschland-online.de/DOL_Internet/broker
Germany’s national eGovernment strategy pursued by the federal government,
federal-state governments and municipal administrations.
Name: Free Hanseatic City of Bremen
www.bremen.de
Federal State (Bundesland) of Bremen, consisting of the two cities Bremen and
Bremerhaven with about 70 km distance between them. The State of Bremen is
surrounded by the (much bigger) state of Lower Saxony. This “2-cities-building
1 state- construction” is unique in Germany.
Name: Senate of Bremen
www.rathaus.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen54.c.2331.de
The Senat - is the cabinet, the government of Bremen. In the State of Bremen,
the president of the Senat has the function of a prime minister, mayor beeing
the offical title.
Name: Senator of Finance
www.finanzen.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen02.c.742.de
Unit “Centralised IT management and e-government” located within the
departments of the Senator of Finance is central to E-government: Responsible
for policy issues, strategic issues and for overall coordination with the Unit,
“New Media” at the Senator for Finance.
Name: ADV KoopA
www.koopa.de
A federal project of German Länder, The Cooperation Committee ADV is a body
that is mutually agreed on common principles in the use of information and
communication technology (ICT) and major ICT projects in public administration.
Name: Bremen Online Services GmbH & Co. KG (BOS KG)
www.bos-bremen.de
Public company producing software for legally binding and secure data transfer
via internet concerning public administration, justice and economy.

7. Name: OSCI control centre
www1.osci.de/sixcms/detail.php?id=1181
The OSCI control centre is an organisational unit within the administration of
the State of Bremen, who perform on behalf of KoopA-ADV and Germany as
part of a series of online tasks in the context of cross-OSCI.
OSCI was developed in Bremen as part of the Federal Government’s MEDIA@
Komm promotional initiative. The specification is maintained and developed by
the OSCI control centre based at the Senator of Finance in Bremen.
OSCI is a security protocol characterised by its facility to introduce various
security levels and different communication roles, e.g. back-end (appropriate
public authority), client (customer) and intermediary (intermediate agency
with protocol and test functions). The “double envelope principle” prevents the
intermediary from accessing content data, creating a scenario where this role
can (but need not!) be transferred to external service providers.
Name: MEDIA@Komm
www.mediakomm.difu.de
National project offering multimedia in cities and towns: communication and
information, development and testing of pilots and models. Free Hanseatic City
of Bremen won the inter city competition with a concept for customer focus
through the integration of electronic services for citizens and businesses from
a single source, based on OSCI.
Name: Govello
www.govello.de
www.bos-bremen.de/de/produkte/governikus/229415
Govello is a client application based on the Governikus application, and is offered
by BOS. It offers authorities and customers the possibility to communicate with
each other in a legally binding way in conformance with German signature law.
Name: City of Bremerhaven /Magistratskanzlei, Dpt. 6
www.bremerhaven.de
www.bremerhaven.de/buergerservice/aemter-einrichtungen/stadtverwaltung/
magistratskanzlei/informations-und-kommunikationstechniken.10180.html
www.bremerhaven.de/buergerservice
Local Government Dept responsible for policy issues, strategic issues and
for overall coordination with the ICT Unit b.i.t. is the Department MK5 at the
Magistrat Bremerhaven. The “Bürgerservice” (Citizens Services) is a list of
online services offered by the City Administration.
Name: MEDIA@Komm
www.mediakomm.difu.de
National project offering multimedia in cities and towns: communication and
information, development and testing of pilots and models.
Free Hanseatic City of Bremen won the inter city competition with a concept for
customer focus through the integration of electronic services for citizens and
businesses from a single source, based on OSCI.

8. Name: b.i.t. (Bremerhaven ICT Development Company)
www.bit.bremerhaven.de
The core business is the operation of economic enterprises of the
“municipal network”, and the care of about 1500 users. The administration
of Bremerhaven is relying on b.i.t. which is a public company. The b.i.t.
also brings technologies and services to the free market. Main activities
are e-government solutions for the digital signature card.
Name: MEDIA@Komm
www.mediakomm.difu.de
National project offering multimedia in cities and towns: communication
and information, development and testing of pilots and models.
Free Hanseatic City of Bremen won the inter city competition with a
concept for customer focus through the integration of electronic services
for citizens and businesses from a single source, based on OSCI.
Name: ETROPOLIS Bremerhaven - the digital city
The virtual community as a reflection of the real city. Citizens, businesses
and public institutions will become a self-contained, but together outwardly
open digital communications platform.
On the basis of a shared service and communication environment,
citizens, businesses and organizations should be able to exchange
information, ideas and resources and develop joint projects.
www.smartcities.info
www.epractice.eu/community/smartcities
The Smart Cities project is creating an innovation network between cities and academic
partners to develop and deliver better e-services to citizens and businesses in the North
Sea Region. Smart Cities is funded by the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme of the
European Union.
Smart Cities is PARTLY funded by the Interreg IVB North Sea Region Programme of the
European Union. The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 works with regional
development projects around the North Sea. Promoting transnational cooperation, the
Programme aims to make the region a better place to live, work and invest in.
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