Accelerating Local Leadership by Open Computing and AI for Technological Empowerment

A Coruña is a growing digital city with a strong ICT sector, top research centres and a clear ambition: to become a European reference in the development of sustainable and ethical AI. However, local SMEs still face major barriers to taking advantage of the opportunities provided by AI, including high computing costs, limited access to urban data and a lack of AI training

ALLOCATE addresses these challenges by creating a Local Computing Community (LCC) where public institutions, businesses and academia co-develop AI solutions for urban services. The project will address three urban-focused use cases. The currently foreseen use cases are: optimisation of public bike-sharing services, waste collection, and citizen incident management. Through shared infrastructure, clean urban datasets, and four training courses in green and ethical AI, local SMEs will access tools and skills to develop sustainable AI solutions. A new energy-auditing tool will also ensure these AI systems comply with EU regulations and reduce carbon emissions.

By the end of the project, ALLOCATE will deliver three tested AI services, train over 100 professionals and cut emissions by 20% in two key services. More than 3,000 citizens will benefit directly. The initiative will continue beyond the project through integration into A Coruña’s digital hub, Cidade das TIC.