Smart cities will boost the multidisciplinary development of the ICT sector

AMETIC presents the 'Report 2012 Smart Cities’ which highlights the importance that for the correct development of smart cities it is necessary to implement open standards and regulations that facilitate the interoperability of systems and devices.

Smart cities will improve the management of large cities and promote the multidisciplinary development of the ICT sector. This is one of the main conclusions of the Report 2012 Smart Cities recently presented in Madrid by AMETIC, together with the ICT Forum for Sustainability. This work is a comprehensive study on smart cities, its implementation, the services they must provide, as well as the technologies that must support the efficient provision of these services.

The Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society intervened at the presentation of the report., Victor Calvo-Sotelo, the president of AMETIC, Jose Manuel of Riva, and the President of Fundación España Digital, Martin Perez, who reflected on how the application of Information and Communication Technologies to the management and public services of cities can improve their functioning, transforming them into Smart City, which in turn constitutes a great business opportunity for the industry in the Information and Communication Technologies sector..

José Manuel de Riva has stated that “AMETIC considers it necessary to analyze how the Spanish industry faces the new challenge of Smart Cities and calibrate the real business possibilities that they will generate in the global market from the point of view of supply.”. In your opinion, “Smart Cities constitute an important multidisciplinary market niche for the technology industry, as well as a key opportunity for the sector to continue promoting new technologies, growth, employment and improvement of the quality of life.” In this sense, de Riva pointed out that AMETIC is already working on the creation of an alliance of national business associations, whose objective is the development of smart cities “that will allow a better quality of life for the citizen, at the same time that it constitutes an opportunity to develop an industry of products, services and employment of all the agents of the value chain present in this new market”.

The report highlights the importance for the correct development of smart cities of implementing open standards and regulations that facilitate the interoperability of systems and devices and points out the growth opportunities that are presented to the ICT sector with emerging technologies such as Big Data., essential application in Smart Cities, and indicates that the normalization and standardization organizations are already working on the homogenization of the systems.

Advantages of Smart Cities

Among the main advantages that the implementation of Smart Cities brings to cities, The report highlights the optimization of the management of energy or water supply and consumption since smart ICTs are greener technologies, more sustainable, that not only consume less energy but help improve performance and environmental performance. They also highlight the improvement of transportation and mobility, citizen security, civil protection, creating favorable environments for economic activity, tourism development or transparency and citizen participation.

The report includes a series of conclusions and recommendations based on the certainty that Smart Cities are a remedy for the problems associated with congestion in large cities and points out the difficulties faced by their implementation., one of which is that the large investments required in long-term projects, could produce a certain deterrence in public powers and private agents, which is why it is considered necessary to establish long-term political commitments..

Considering that the role of Public Administrations in promoting Smart Cities is decisive, The report makes key recommendations that they should take into account for their correct development., among which it is worth mentioning the creation of city networks such as the existing Spanish Network of Smart Cities, to share experiences; the choice of mature and proven technologies or the initial launch of projects whose advantages are quickly visible to citizens.

Legal regulation

Regarding legal regulation, The report indicates that the development of Smart Cities requires certain flexibility since transformation projects in Smart City are, necessarily, long term projects, Therefore, it is necessary that the regulation includes the time horizon of the regulated actions., to, thus, offer a stable work framework to companies and institutions.

Finally, The report proposes that the Spanish ICT sector prepare to apply for the different calls for public aid and ally itself with cities that establish themselves as demonstrators of the potential of Smart Cities., since energy technologies, transport and ICT applied to Smart Cities will enjoy preferential treatment in public policies to support innovation in the European Union in the next period 2014-2020. In addition, advises that they seek collaboration mechanisms with companies in the energy and transportation sector that are essential in the development of smart cities..

The study on Smart Cities has been prepared by AMETIC, with the collaboration of the ICT Forum for Sustainability, and the support of the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism through the Avanza Plan. Besides, Representatives of the following institutions and companies have participated: Fundetec, Spain Digital Foundation, Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society, Secretary of State for Energy, General Directorate of Traffic, Spanish Network of Smart Cities (SAY), Madrid City Council, Official College of Telecommunications Engineers (COIT), Ecoasimelec Foundation, Ecopilas Foundation, General Directorate of Quality and Environmental Assessment and Natural Environment, Spanish Office of Climate Change, Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving, Red.es, TurSpain, Fundación Entorno-BCSD Spain, CEDDET Foundation, Sustainability Excellence Club, Royal Academy of Engineering, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Endesa, Iberdrola, Arthur D. Little e Iclaves.

Discharge of the Report.