Amazon Web Services (AWS) is helping customers of Brussels-based smart city network Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC) share open data.

This marks the launch of OASC’s Enterprise Partnership programme.

AWS will be helping city users implement OASC’s minimal interoperability mechanisms (MIMs), enabling cities to exchange services and share open data. The MIMs are based on open standards and specifications and have been adopted by more than 150 cities in over 30 countries.

AWS and OASC will now jointly explore ways in which cloud technologies can address cities’ appetites for openness, interoperability, ownership, control, fairness and local economic development. As part of the cooperation, AWS will support those wanting to develop a cloud-native context broker based on OASC MIMs, enabling more cities and communities in the world to benefit from digital technologies.

“The launch of our Enterprise Partnership programme is a landmark for our network,” said Davor Meersman, CEO of OASC. “The digital transformation of cities is about improving the places that we love and live in, and OASC is working to ensure that this transformation goes in the direction we want as a society, one that’s open, free and fair. The team at AWS supports this vision and we are excited to embark on this journey together and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”

Wayne Soutter, AWS smart city lead, added: “We look forward to working closely with OASC in 2021 supporting the digital transformation of their member cities. We hope to help cities leverage global infrastructure and leading-edge services, enabling them to fast track their innovation, improve services for their citizens and, importantly, share any learnings and relevant open data with other cities around the world.”

OASC is an international smart city network that has the goal of creating and shaping the nascent global smart city data and services market. Its MIMs are simple and transparent mechanisms, ready to use in any city, regardless of size or capacity. By implementing MIMs, cities can increase the speed and openness of innovation and development, while decreasing cost and inefficiency.