16
de Novembre
de
2016 - 01:03
Act.
16
de Novembre
de
2016 - 13:20
"The public find it hard to understand the smart city concept." Pedro Lisbona, partner-director of Doxa, admits to VIA Empresa that the concept of smart cities still does not enjoy the popularity that its potential deserves. On Tuesday, Barcelona saw the inauguration of the sixth edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress, a fair that allows the Catalan capital to stake its claim as an example to follow in this sphere.
Getting the public to understand the opportunities that this affords is one of the challenges this year for consultancies like Doxa, which is taking part in the fair for the third time. "We work with cities to be able to do projects of citizen participation that can include the public in this strategy and make everyone aware of the benefits of the digital transformation of the city," says Lisbona; who defines the smart city as "an infrastructure that still cannot be seen." This year, they are presenting a smart city model for a mid-sized Mediterranean city like Cambrils, as well as the strategy of the Observatori SmartCat.
The street light illuminating the new urban furniture
This edition of the Smart City Expo is the first for Siarq, a Catalan design and street furniture concept company of some 15 years. Specialising in solar energy, its cofounder Axelle Vergés admits to VIA Empresa that "the smart city is new for us." Even though technology and smart management have always been part of their everyday experience, a time in which energy, communications and data go together has forced them to "find joint solutions".
It is precisely coming up with solutions and bringing technological opportunities closer to the public that is the basis of SHOC, the programme that Siaq is presenting this week at the fair. SHOC are the initials for Solar Hub Open Collaboration and the idea behind it is "to invite citizens, companies and authorities to rethink the space destined for the solar street lights we have created."
Solar Hub itself is a street light that works with solar energy, but it also goes further. "They have zero CO2 emissions and a smart system that manages the batteries and energy," says Vergés. However, what is really interesting is that its rounded shape allows for "a space to put all the devices that cities need to collect data." In other words, the street light can act as a support for the collection of information that improves security, the environment and mobility.
"There is a world of possibilities," says the head of Siarq. The key is that each community can decide which data it wants to prioritise in its street light. "We want to adapt this technology according to the place it is installed," insists Vergés. Taken as a whole they can decide the smart solutions that can be included within the solar street light's support. "That way it will be possible to rethink the space and co-create a new generation of street furniture," he adds.
With the technological support of Cellnex and with Sant Cugat as one of the first local authorities to sign up to it, Axelle Vergés explains that in this Smart City Expo they want to find "more technology partners and local authorities from around the world that want to put SHOC into practice in their cities.
More secure data
"There has to be very good communication between authorities and the public." Montserrat Delgado, head of sales and marketing at Bit4id, uses the spread of this idea as one of the main aims of her presence at the Smart City Expo.
"Communications are today agile and economical. Authorities have to take advantage of this to involve the public in taking decisions by providing transparency, efficiency and trust," insists the head of this company that specialises in digital security and identity through PKI technologies. It is another example of how the technology of smart cities can be focused on serving the public.
"We have prepared a schedule of meetings with companies closely related to the management of documentation, work flows or electronic billing," says Delgado. But Bit4id will also take advantage of the Smart City Expo to meet different authorities, offering what they know best: cybersecurity in communications.
The capital of smart cities
It may seem obvious but the fact that the Smart City Expo is being held in Barcelona is a clear advantage for the different Catalan companies taking part, most of whom are in the pavilions of Acció or the City Council. "It is the meeting point for cities and technology, much more so than the Mobile World Congress," insists Pedro Lisbona.
The head of Doxa points out that "on an international scale Barcelona has a good image associated with innovation and technology." Being from Barcelona and having worked for the city and the country, he recognises, helps when it comes to exploring new markets related to these values. "We have meetings scheduled with some 20 delegations: from Hong Kong and New York to Paris. They want to know what we have done in Barcelona and Catalonia," says Lisbona.
Siarq also celebrates the fact that Barcelona is so closely associated with innovation and technology. For Axelle Vergés, "the great challenge of being smart is knowing how to attract smart people. Barcelona is better placed than any other city to face this challenge."
Getting the public to understand the opportunities that this affords is one of the challenges this year for consultancies like Doxa, which is taking part in the fair for the third time. "We work with cities to be able to do projects of citizen participation that can include the public in this strategy and make everyone aware of the benefits of the digital transformation of the city," says Lisbona; who defines the smart city as "an infrastructure that still cannot be seen." This year, they are presenting a smart city model for a mid-sized Mediterranean city like Cambrils, as well as the strategy of the Observatori SmartCat.
The street light illuminating the new urban furniture
This edition of the Smart City Expo is the first for Siarq, a Catalan design and street furniture concept company of some 15 years. Specialising in solar energy, its cofounder Axelle Vergés admits to VIA Empresa that "the smart city is new for us." Even though technology and smart management have always been part of their everyday experience, a time in which energy, communications and data go together has forced them to "find joint solutions".
It is precisely coming up with solutions and bringing technological opportunities closer to the public that is the basis of SHOC, the programme that Siaq is presenting this week at the fair. SHOC are the initials for Solar Hub Open Collaboration and the idea behind it is "to invite citizens, companies and authorities to rethink the space destined for the solar street lights we have created."
Solar Hub itself is a street light that works with solar energy, but it also goes further. "They have zero CO2 emissions and a smart system that manages the batteries and energy," says Vergés. However, what is really interesting is that its rounded shape allows for "a space to put all the devices that cities need to collect data." In other words, the street light can act as a support for the collection of information that improves security, the environment and mobility.
"There is a world of possibilities," says the head of Siarq. The key is that each community can decide which data it wants to prioritise in its street light. "We want to adapt this technology according to the place it is installed," insists Vergés. Taken as a whole they can decide the smart solutions that can be included within the solar street light's support. "That way it will be possible to rethink the space and co-create a new generation of street furniture," he adds.
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| The Siarq solar street light is also a platform for gathering data that the local community is interested in. Ceded |
With the technological support of Cellnex and with Sant Cugat as one of the first local authorities to sign up to it, Axelle Vergés explains that in this Smart City Expo they want to find "more technology partners and local authorities from around the world that want to put SHOC into practice in their cities.
More secure data
"There has to be very good communication between authorities and the public." Montserrat Delgado, head of sales and marketing at Bit4id, uses the spread of this idea as one of the main aims of her presence at the Smart City Expo.
"Communications are today agile and economical. Authorities have to take advantage of this to involve the public in taking decisions by providing transparency, efficiency and trust," insists the head of this company that specialises in digital security and identity through PKI technologies. It is another example of how the technology of smart cities can be focused on serving the public.
"We have prepared a schedule of meetings with companies closely related to the management of documentation, work flows or electronic billing," says Delgado. But Bit4id will also take advantage of the Smart City Expo to meet different authorities, offering what they know best: cybersecurity in communications.
The capital of smart cities
It may seem obvious but the fact that the Smart City Expo is being held in Barcelona is a clear advantage for the different Catalan companies taking part, most of whom are in the pavilions of Acció or the City Council. "It is the meeting point for cities and technology, much more so than the Mobile World Congress," insists Pedro Lisbona.
The head of Doxa points out that "on an international scale Barcelona has a good image associated with innovation and technology." Being from Barcelona and having worked for the city and the country, he recognises, helps when it comes to exploring new markets related to these values. "We have meetings scheduled with some 20 delegations: from Hong Kong and New York to Paris. They want to know what we have done in Barcelona and Catalonia," says Lisbona.
Siarq also celebrates the fact that Barcelona is so closely associated with innovation and technology. For Axelle Vergés, "the great challenge of being smart is knowing how to attract smart people. Barcelona is better placed than any other city to face this challenge."