Bocholt's Digital Strategy

A solid foundation

A reliable digital city needs an absolutely stable and secure foundation. We continuously invest in state-of-the-art server environments, high-speed networks and secure cloud solutions.

At the same time, we effectively protect the administration and your personal data from cyber attacks using state-of-the-art security and contingency plans (ISMS & BCM).

Smooth processes behind the scenes

To ensure that the services visible on your smartphone run smoothly, we are modernising the town hall from the inside out.

With the widespread introduction of electronic files (e-files), we are doing away with paper clutter, reducing processing times for your applications and helping to protect the environment.

Simple and accessible anywhere

We consistently tailor our services to your needs. The aim is to make dealing with the authorities as intuitive as online shopping:

Your smartphone becomes the key to accessing public services that are available to you round the clock, with no barriers and no waiting times.

Quality of life through Smart City

We use modern technologies directly in everyday urban life to make Bocholt an even better and greener place to live. Through smart solutions such as digital parking management, we reduce traffic caused by people searching for parking spaces in the city centre and protect the environment.

A new Smart City dashboard makes key data transparent and accessible to everyone.

Shaping change together

Digital transformation can only succeed if we undertake it together. As a cross-cutting initiative, people are at the heart of the process: we are breaking down barriers and, through clear information and targeted training, ensuring that both our staff and all residents of Bocholt can make use of digital opportunities with confidence and assurance

A smart city is an urban environment that intelligently integrates digital technologies and data.

The aim is to optimise infrastructure, administration and energy efficiency, conserve resources and thereby sustainably improve residents' quality of life.

"Smart City" simply means that we use modern technologies to directly improve the quality of life here in Bocholt. A concrete example from the new strategy is smart parking management:

In future, sensors and digital systems will guide you directly to available parking spaces in the city centre. This saves you the stress of searching for a parking space and, at the same time, protects our environment by reducing unnecessary traffic caused by people looking for a space and cutting down on exhaust fumes.

No, not at all. Our digital services are an additional, convenient option for you, allowing you to carry out your business without being restricted by opening hours or travel distances.

If you would prefer to discuss your concerns in person at the Bocholt Citizens' Advice Bureau, we will continue to be there for you on site.

We are also introducing new solutions, such as online appointment booking, to make in-person contact as simple and hassle-free as possible.

The security of your data is our top priority and forms the essential foundation for every single one of our digital projects.

As the risks of cyberattacks increase worldwide alongside advancing digitalisation, Bocholt protects your data through data protection standards in accordance with the European GDPR. In the field of IT security, we adhere to the strict standards of the BSI (IT-Grundschutz), with the aim of continuously optimising our systems and maintaining a consistently high level of protection for your data.

The abbreviation IoT stands for Internet of Things.

What is it? Normally, people access the internet via PCs, laptops or smartphones. With the "Internet of Things", however, it is everyday objects and technical devices that have their own internet connection.

How does it work? These objects are equipped with sensors, software and actuators. This enables them to collect data independently, exchange it via the internet and communicate with other devices or systems without the need for human intervention every time.

LoRaWAN stands for Long Range Wide Area Network.

What is it? It is a specialised wireless technology developed specifically for the "Internet of Things" (IoT) explained above. You can think of it as an extremely energy-efficient Wi-Fi with a huge range.

Why is it used? Standard Wi-Fi often only has a range of a few metres, and mobile networks (such as LTE or 5G) consume a great deal of power. LoRaWAN bridges this gap: it can transmit data over many kilometres (often 5 to 15 kilometres), and the connected sensors consume so little energy that their batteries can last for over 10 years in some cases.

Real-world example: For instance, when measuring soil moisture in locations where no continuous power supply is available, battery-powered sensors can transmit data via LoRaWAN for months on end.

Digital return on investment ( also known as return on digitalisation) describes the measurable added value generated by digital projects and transformation. Unlike traditional returns on investment, it is measured not only in monetary terms but also in terms of time saved, efficiency gains, lower error rates and higher user satisfaction.

It plays a particularly central role in the modernisation of public administration. The principle here is that a digital service (e.g. an application) is developed once but used thousands of times, leading to economies of scale and significantly reduced staffing costs.