• Quote: ‘Alicante Futura first technological axis for the modernization of municipal management and inter-action with citizens’ – Mayor Luis Barcala

By Andrew Atkinson

The Alicante ‘Smart City 2.0’ strategy, which brings together 25 projects to promote the City until 2027, was presented in a ceremony held at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

“It is an initiative framed in the global strategy ‘Alicante Futura’ – becoming its first technological axis for the modernization of municipal management and inter-action with the citizens,” said Mayor Luis Barcala.

The project includes Smart Markets, E-Patrimonio, Smart Ville San Antón, intelligent social health monitoring and the Digital Twin for the development of a cyber-physical system for the infrastructure water of the city.

The 25 projects include investments of €24.3m during 2021-27.  €2.7m is consigned in the 2021 budget, according to the local government.

The bipartisan PP and Citizens presented the digital transformation plan ‘Alicante Smart City 2.0’ for the modernisation of municipal services, in order to facilitate the management of citizens.

The City Council will need an additional €21m, plus, over the next six years, exceeding the duration of the current mandate, ending in mid-2023.

Alicante approved its budgets for 2021, with the endorsement of the PSOE and Vox

during this year, according to the bipartisan, with €2.7m projects developed, mainly the Cybersecurity, endowed with €750,000.

Also: Artificial Intelligence for electronic processing: €500,000, Smart & Green €150,000, the Gestecpol police management platform €650,000.

Alicante Se Mueve – a project promoted by the tripartite last term, €500,000 for 2021.

Commencement of projects including social cyber kiosks, Smart Parking, DTI Alicante/ the predictive dashboards based on Artificial Intelligence.

Training plans for officials in digital skills and digital literacy and citizenship.

The digitization plan includes projects, including: the creation of the Citizen Participation Portal, to increase the level of municipal transparency.

The constitution of a Smart City 2021-2027 technical commission for governance, the Big Data citizen initiative with active listening in social networks; the Smart City Data Driven Platform, the Alicante Smart City brain; Hyperconnectivity, with the aim of being the municipality with the best connectivity in Spain; DovTech, for automation of procedures; Smart Parking Mobility; the Intelligent Multifunctional Sports Centre; the intelligent management of public roads and sports facilities for the practice of sports.

Modernization spokesperson Antonio Peral (PP), said: “The Alicante Smart City 2.0 Plan was born with the aim of co-ordinating and promoting the set of actions related to technological innovation that are already being implemented in the city.

“It will generate innovative ideas for the sustainable and efficient management of the urban ecosystem”.

The implementation of electronic Administration will undertake the creation of a connectivity network in the city, the development of sectorial plans for digitization in mobility, energy, water, industry, entrepreneurship and employment

“It will allow us to focus political action of the next seven years with determination, seeking excellence to place Alicante at the forefront of European smart cities,” he added.

“It is not a mere declaration of intentions, but rather it designs 25 specific actions with an investment of €25m that are being tendered and put into operation.

“It will forever transform the administrative relationship between Alicante and its residents town hall,” added Mayor Luis Barcala