The National Smart Cities Plan launches 28 projects to support local entities in their digital transformation process towards “smart” solutions
17/11/2022
The Plan is intended to promote the technological industry of cities in Spain and to help local authorities in the processes of digital transformation towards Intelligent Destinations.
Coinciding with its tenth anniversary, the Spanish Network of Smart Cities (RECI), held last October in Palma de Mallorca the second edition of its National Congress, under the slogan “Intelligence for sustainable cities”, with the aim of reuniting the sector of sustainable cities. smart cities in a space of collaboration that would allow us to take action.
The Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, Nadia Calviño, spoke at the opening session of the Congress, co-organized by RECI, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation through the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, the City of Palma and Tourism of Palma.
Carme Artigas, Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, participated in this meeting, where she wanted to highlight the project, “National Plan of Smart Cities”, promoted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation, through Red.es, and which has already allocated 78 million euros, for 28 projects of local entities throughout the national territory, funds provided by the Ministry, through Red.es, with the cofinancing of the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER).
“By promoting our cities through innovation and knowledge, you have managed to promote a new urban model, based on the green and digital economy, of which more than 130 cities and municipalities throughout Spain are already part. Without a doubt, the ecological transition and sustainability go hand in hand with the digital transformation process. This vision encompasses, from the digitalization of infrastructures and public administrations, to energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, or even data spaces or smart tourism,” said Carme Artigas during her speech, in which she wanted to thank those present, “for contributing to the design of better and more prosperous cities for all.”
City models that go through generating structures of circular and sustainable economy, which allow to optimize resources based on better decision-making, based on information. An efficient and intelligent management that must be based on talent and innovation as great levers of modernization of the public space.
The National Plan of Smart Cities is the firm commitment of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation to promote in Spain the technological industry of smart cities and to help local entities in the transformation processes towards Smart Cities and Destinations. The objective of this proposal is to support local entities in their digital transformation process, favoring the incorporation of smart solutions in cities and tourist destinations, with the purpose of improving efficiency in the provision of public services and adapting the offer of services to the real needs of citizens and tourists, located at the center of public action, promoting the strengthening of the industry. TIC.
Projects in progress, from accessibility in the Albaicín neighborhood, to the concept of citizen management “360 degrees”
Some of these projects of the first call are: “Smart Costa del Sol”, which brings together several municipalities and has created a multi-city platform that brings together all the information and services of interest, both for tourists and visitors and for residents. “Granada Human Smart City”, which focuses on making the Albaicín neighborhood accessible to all people, regardless of their physical condition, age or place of origin, through a three-dimensional platform of the neighborhood. O “Toledo Smart City”, which develops actions that promote the growth and competitiveness of the city’s businesses, develops a mobile tourism application that offers information to the visitor and allows to extract statistics, an entry control to the historic center that allows to automate the accesses through OCR technology and a route planner that facilitates the mobility of the traveler.
From the second call of the Plan, these are some of the projects: “Gijón IN: Innovative, Intelligent and Integrative City”, an intelligent management model that conceives citizenship as an engine of change and whose main objective is to seek as the ultimate goal the quality of life of people. “Cáceres Intelligent Heritage”, which aims to preserve and value the monumental legacy of this World Heritage city, as well as acquiring a greater knowledge of the behavior of visitors and citizens in their relationship with the territory. O “Santander Smart Citizen”, who wants to implement a new concept of citizen management “360 degrees” that simplifies, rationalizes and facilitates access to the different municipal services.
Seville, European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023
Among the 28 ongoing projects, the Seville City Council is to be congratulated for its project “Seville Smart Accessibility & Tourist & Events”, since the Andalusian capital has been chosen European Capital of Smart Tourism 2023, by the European Commission. A distinction that represents a boost to the tourism management model developed by the Municipal Corporation, awarded as a success story and an example of good practices.
Seville competed with two other Spanish cities, Gijón and San Sebastián, which also opted for the title granted by the European Commission to distinguish the destinations that have opted to innovate to make tourism development more sustainable. The seven finalist cities also included Porto (Portugal), Zagreb (Croatia), Aarhus (Denmark) and Paphos (Cyprus).
The National Smart Cities Plan is currently underway and is expected to be completed in December 2023.