All cities want to be smart. Many of them simply because it looks good or because they understand it's too important to ignore. However, smartness isn't something you can buy. It's something that must be developed continuously, with investment at various levels and a long-term strategy.

A profound transformation

The first and most crucial step is to accept that the path to becoming a smart city requires a process of profound transformation. It's not a fad. It's not an opportunity to project an image of modernity, nor is it something that can be approached superficially or only through small experimental pilots. As a structural transformation, the concept of a smart city must be developed based on a transformative vision, a strong political commitment over several years, and a strong capacity for execution and change management.

A political agenda

The second step is to understand that technology opens up many new possibilities, but it doesn't define a single path, nor does it indicate which paths might be most appropriate. These are choices that must be made in the political sphere, implying a sense of direction and often forcing us to choose between conflicting values. A given technology may be very beneficial for almost everyone, but potentially very harmful for some, creating risks of exclusion. Or, it may be negative for society as a whole, but very beneficial only to some, leading them to promote that technology actively. It is therefore essential that each city has its strategy, which allows for the articulation of political options with technological possibilities and provides a shared vision for its future in a highly digital society.

Long-term partnerships

The third step involves finding the right partners for the change process. The breadth of knowledge areas, the advanced nature of many of the technologies involved, and the need for experience in innovation processes are essential for municipalities to find collaborative solutions that enable them to overcome the numerous challenges associated with this digital transition process.

However, developing collaborative processes always entails a cost inherent in the difficulty of finding the right partners, as well as developing knowledge and trust between the parties and establishing effective processes to energise and guide collaboration. Partnerships that are merely circumstantial and inherently ephemeral mean that the cost-benefit ratio is not always optimal, either due to the lack of a guiding principle or the effort required from scratch for each new collaborative initiative.

Therefore, it is essential to seek long-term partnerships that provide a regular, strategic, consistent, and structured collaboration model, thus enabling much greater effectiveness of collaborative processes. This continuity streamlines joint dynamics, not least because mutual understanding develops and substantially facilitates the definition and execution of new initiatives. Continuity also allows for collaboration in defining a long-term vision and greater alignment in its execution.

All cities can become smart cities, but each will be smart in its way. The CCG/ZGDV is prepared to be a strategic partner for cities that decide to embark on this path.

Opinion article by: Rui José, Researcher in Mobile Computing and Communications (MCC)