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European Network for Urban Sharing Launches: Introducing Digital Kiosks

The Digital Kiosks Network has officially launched, promising to transform the sharing and rental economy. 

Led by Bax, the new European network facilitates the sustainable implementation of sharing stations by working with more than 30 public authorities, housing providers, sharing station providers, brand manufacturers, researchers and sharing economy practitioners.

“The Digital Kiosks network aims to bring together Europe’s expertise, resources and committed organisations for sharing stations to advance the practical implementation of the sharing economy. With our members, we’re testing more than 30 sharing stations across Europe, and want to share our outcomes with cities, housing providers and sharing station companies” said Sami Angsthelm, co-founder of the Network.

Digital Kiosks’ first members and collaborators include the cities of Barcelona, Hamburg, Tartu, and Gothenburg, and sharing station providers Les Biens en Commun, Library of Things, Equip, BoxUp, and Ihopa. 

We invite all cities with an ambition to increase social cohesion, liveability and sustainability in their district to join the network. We are here to share knowledge, facilitate pilots and design large-scale deployments. With Europe’s leading sharing station providers and sharing-focused municipalities in our membership, we aim to create a community of implementation delivering the sharing economy all across Europe.

– Johanna Reiland, Co-founder of the network

A new infrastructure to access the goods of city life

Whenever you need that drill for a little home renovation, or that volleyball set for an afternoon in the park with friends – you might go out and buy it. But once you’ve used that drill or volleyball, it can sit in your cupboard for years until you use it again for a few minutes. Multiplied across an entire city, and this consumption habit represents millions of items that sit unused for most of their lifetime.

Sharing stations flip this dynamic. By offering physical sharing hubs, located in indoor or outdoor environments and powered by connected locker technology, they provide a new infrastructure for people to interact with consumer goods. Compared to existing sharing solutions, it provides a simplereliable and cost-efficient service to access goods for a short amount of time in the city.

European citizens own thousands of goods they use for only minutes a year. This isn’t an efficient way to access goods, but the waste it generates doesn’t fit a vision for a sustainable, circular economy. We believe sharing stations are part of the answer. They make sure goods are used effectively, and build social connections that are increasingly lacking.

– Sami Angsthelm, Co-founder of the network

Members and Collaborators of the Network

“Resource efficiency and circular economy is a focus area of the integrated climate protection concept of Hamburg-Wandsbek. As such, the development, diversification and upscaling of new and innovative concepts for sharing stations is an important action. We are excited to work with other inspiring European cities and solution providers on moving forward the idea of a more resource efficient and climate-friendly society.”
 
Tim Roesler
Head of Climate Protection Unit, City of Hamburg | Wandsbek District
 
“Deploying connected sharing stations rapidly will require stakeholders to work together to overcome different barriers: solution visibility, financing options, operational issues. We are therefore thrilled to be part of the Digital Kiosk Network and we look forward to positive collaboration to change the way we use our daily equipments in the years to come.”
 
Yann Lemoine
Presdient, Les Biens en Commun
 
“Joining the Digital Kiosks Network will help sharing providers collectively advocate for connected lockers. Together, we are stronger.”
 
Quentin Geromin
Head of Business Development, Equip Sport

Learn about what we do

Training
Trained 15 municipalities on the sharing economy through the Digital Kiosks Programme.

Pilots
Set up a living lab in Barcelona with the municipality and a housing provider

Funding
Secured €4m for members to develop and implement more than 25 sharing stations.

Research
Worked with cities to analyse the social impact of sharing stations, focusing on liveability.

Interested in joining the network? Get in touch!

Sami Angsthelm
Innovation Consultant
Circular
Mobility
Sharing
Johanna Reiland
Innovation Consultant
Circular
Materials
Sharing
François Dubreuil
Innovation Consultant
Circular
Sharing
Nienke de Jong
Innovation Consultant
Sharing