Madrid, October 15, 2024.- The Government, on the proposal of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and the Civil Service, today approved the direct granting of a grant of 13 million euros to the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP) for the development and management of the Data Space project for the smart urban infrastructures of municipalities and provincial councils. The funds come from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, specifically its component 12.

This innovative project will allow the collection of data from cities from some of the sectors considered strategic (sustainable mobility, efficient management of light and water) and offer them and exchange them with other cities or territories, as well as with the business fabric of each of these economic sectors.

“Spain is a European and global reference in the field of Smart Cities, which use cutting-edge technology for their management. Thus, smart cities are generating a large set of sensor data (lighting, mobility, water, transport) at the local level. The challenge now is to take advantage of this valuable information by sharing it among administrations in a secure way to improve decision-making based on the lessons learned and the experiences of others,” said the Minister for Digital Transformation and Public Service, Óscar López.

First applications

Initially, this Data Space includes three use cases: traffic management using artificial intelligence and data spaces to reduce congestion; an intelligent system for the efficient management of energy and water and, finally, the design of a map of the economic and social activity of the territories that helps urban planning.

The construction of this Data Space is an incentive for the digital transformation of administrations, SMEs and businesses, strengthening their weight in local economies and promoting their growth. It will promote the development of high-skilled local employment, the attraction and retention of talent and the quality of services provided to citizens will be improved.

The EMFF, as the receiving entity of the funds, will be responsible for the functioning of the data space, thus ensuring its long-term continuity and sustainability. It will develop common components and set operating standards for smart cities. It will also be responsible for ensuring the connection of smart city platforms with the data space, as well as establishing governance schemes that regulate their operation and their relationship with other sectoral data spaces, ensuring interoperability.

In a first phase, this initiative will be launched for 12 municipalities or deputies, selected through a competitive concurrence process. The grant to the EMFF will also finance the creation of Data Offices to streamline the development and value of data.