Genoa smart city vision evolves with the power of video AI

# Smart citiy

# Artificial intelligence

# Cities

# Customerstory

In the City of Genoa, a technology journey started with the vision of becoming a true smart city - long before it was a global trend. Today, that dream has leaped forward: Genoa has joined 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗳𝗻𝗶𝗮, a groundbreaking initiative by Milestone Systems and NVIDIA, to shape the future of video AI.

City of Genoa – Government / Public Safety

Genoa joins Video AI Project Hafnia

Initiated by Milestone Systems and NVIDIA

June 2025

In the City of Genoa, a technology journey started over a decade ago, with the vision of becoming a true smart city—long before it was a global trend. Today, that dream has taken a significant leap forward: Genoa is officially joining Project Hafnia , a groundbreaking initiative by Milestone Systems and NVIDIA , to shape the future of video AI.

From civil protection to smart transport, from license plate readers to AI-powered analytics, Genoa is building a city that learns, adapts, and grows. With Hafnia, Genoa helps build the next generation of visual AI tools.

Key Facts

Customer	City of Genoa
Location	Genoa, Italy
Camera Count	2,700 video cameras and IoT sensors
Milestone Technology	XProtect VMS, XProtect Smart Wall, XProtect Smart Maps, BriefCam analytics
Integrations	Video analytics, License Plate Readers (LPR), Anti-intrusion systems
Partner	n/a

Challenges: Growing Urbanization and Unique Geography

Genoa is the sixth largest city in Italy, with around 570,000 residents, and more than one million people in its metropolitan area. Located between the sea and the mountains, it is densely populated and highly urbanized.

Recent history has shown how fragile Genoa’s territory is, with hydrogeological issues and aging infrastructure. Technology plays a key role in managing these risks.

As of 2025, Genoa operates around 2,700 surveillance cameras, 40 license plate reading gates, and multiple integrated systems accessible via the Milestone XProtect Smart Client.

Solution: Training 1,000 Users for Better Urban Mobility

The video management software is owned by the City of Genoa and serves as the official video surveillance system. The cameras act as smart devices supporting safety, mobility, public transport, facility management, sustainability, planning, and tourism.

Stakeholders include law enforcement, civil protection, the Port Authority, universities, and the Chamber of Commerce.

“As of now, more than 1,300 users are authorized on our Milestone platform. Over the past year, our Milestone-certified internal team has trained 800 users. By the end of 2025, that number will grow to 1,000.”
— Alessandro Massa, Information Systems Officer, City of Genoa

“In 2023 we adopted Milestone, marking a major step forward in reliability and quality. By the end of 2027, we expect to reach 6,000 video sources.”
— Andrea Sinisi, Head of Telecom Networks and Video Surveillance, City of Genoa

Results: Integrated Systems Bring Efficiencies

Genoa’s smart city strategy focuses strongly on mobility and transport. Since 2010, the city has built its own telecommunications network, now including 115 km of optical fiber and expanding toward 200 km.

“This strategy has saved over €12 million while enabling broader services for citizens.”
— Alessandra Raiti, Information Systems Officer, City of Genoa

[Image: Urban mobility or infrastructure image]

Artificial Intelligence Reveals New Scenarios

The Hafnia Project aims to give developers access to crucial video data for training new AI models. This aligns with Italy’s Three-Year Plan for IT in Public Administration.

By 2030, Genoa aims to become Italy’s first true smart city.

“AI has opened the door to extraordinary results and unimaginable horizons. We enthusiastically accepted the opportunity to take part in the Hafnia Project.”
— Andrea Sinisi, City of Genoa

[Image: AI or data visualization image]

About Milestone Systems

Milestone Systems is a leading provider of data-driven video technology software, enabling safety, asset protection, and operational efficiency across more than 500,000 customer sites worldwide. Founded in 1998, Milestone is part of the Canon Group.

www.milestonesys.com