Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index (HUGSI) an AI-driven satellite solution focusing on urban green spaces, has been selected by the World Economic Forum as one of 15 Top Innovators in a recent challenge within the UpLink innovation network.
UpLink is the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, launched in Davos 2020. The platform centers around innovation challenges and digital communities, which are dedicated to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Each new cohort is selected by an independent group of international experts, and for this new cohort of Top Innovators, the World Economic Forum was looking for new digital technology capabilities to support urban development in harmony with nature. HUGSI measures and analyzes urban green space in select cities across the globe. With objective and recuring quantification of urban green space, cities can track their development and benchmark with global pairs.
Urbanization is accelerating and thus the need for developing and managing urban green spaces is becoming a focus area for cities across the globe. We developed the AI-driven satellite solution to raise awareness about the value of urban green spaces among citizens and to support decision makers and politicians to make decisions based on data to create smart, green and sustainable cities for the future, says Glen Instone, President of Husqvarna Forest & Garden Division.
Husqvarna Group continues to shape great experiences and demonstrate technology leadership by leading the industry transformation into electrification, autonomous solutions and connected devices.
Through the company’s passion for innovation Husqvarna aims to make a difference to those who shape green spaces and urban environments. Last year Husqvarna Group launched the HUGSI report 2021 report focusing on green spaces in 177 cities across 60 countries, which has now grown into more than 250 cities.
What is HUGSI?
HUGSI stands for Husqvarna Urban Green Space Index — a digital innovation initiative developed by Husqvarna. The ambition is to help safeguard and improve maintenance of green spaces in urban areas. By applying computer vision and deep learning techniques on satellite images, HUGSI unveils insights about the size, proportion, distribution, and health of green space in urban areas.
