Cities, and their inhabitants, will shape our future. 72% of European Union citizens live in cities. This year, Brno will apply for the European Commission’s ‘Intelligent Cities Challenge 2020’ (ICC). The challenge is open to any European cities that can demonstrate a deep commitment to further digital transformation. Photo: KK / Brno Daily.
Brno, Apr 17 (BD) – The intelligent cities challenge does not involve any financial support for the participants. However, the cities can get free expert advice, become part of a community and join regular meetings, use a set of online tools and guidelines based on best practice from the other cities involved, and last but not least, be mentored by another city.
“Only cities from Member States of the European Union with more than 50,000 inhabitants can apply for the 2020 Intelligent Cities Challenge. In Brno, this initiative will focus on the development of the Brno iD project, the data web, the ‘Civic Town Hall’ project and also schemes supporting innovation in the region,” explained Deputy Mayor Tomáš Koláčný.
Brno chose four digital transformation goals, including the development of start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises and social entrepreneurship, as well as eGovernment and the digitalization of city services.
Equally important is the promotion of civic participation and connectivity, as well as the protection and security of the population.
The program will start in June 2020, with an estimated duration of 25 months – until July 2022 (with the possibility of further extension). The city will create a three-member team dedicated to the project from the city’s ‘ecosystem’, consisting of Jan Žák (Brno Public Transport Company), Róbert Spála (Department of Strategic Development and Cooperation of MMB) and Pavel Zemčík (Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology, Brno University of Technology).
In 2017 the European Commission launched the Digital Cities Challenge to encourage digital transformation in 41 cities across the EU, “to make their urban space more enjoyable for everyone.” This year the Commission will support 100 cities to make them “greener, more social and smarter”.
