Last Monday, the government officially presented the strategy that uses technological solutions to “anticipate, manage and plan the needs of areas” and make them “smart”.
Presenting the National Strategy for Smart Areas in Lisbon, Ana Abrunhosa, Minister of Territorial Cohesion, highlighted the “increasingly urgent need to put territorial intelligence at the service of the quality of public policy” and “to adopt digital solutions for the benefit of the population, companies and institutions”.
Considering that the concept of “smart areas” is “very fortunate” because it is more comprehensive than that of “smart cities”, the minister defended a “robust and continued investment” in databases, which must be “open and transparent” .
Remember that “only through data will we know the territory”the minister left a call for information to be shared, addressed to the various mayors who were present at the meeting.
“We need to change the way we look at territories. All our territories should be just one click away”the minister emphasized.
The process of creating smart areas is “a relay race, which everyone needs” and “must be synonymous with democratic and universal”he emphasized.
According to João Dias, president of the Agency for Administrative Modernization, one hundred municipalities “actively participated” in the development of the strategy, which involves an investment of 60 million euros from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR, European funds).
During the presentation, which was attended by two Ministers (also that of Science and Higher Education, Elvira Fortunato) and several State Secretaries (Planning, Justice, Administrative Modernization), João Dias emphasized the motto of the strategy: ‘turning data into action’. “.
Speaking about the country’s digital state, Ana Abrunhosa acknowledged that ensuring “universal and high-quality broadband coverage” remains a challenge and warned that “there is no point in the internet reaching everyone if it cannot reach everyone,” as they do not have the necessary digital skills.
Regarding the opportunities offered by the strategy now adopted – and published on Monday in Diário da República – the minister mentioned new ways of working and attracting “digital talent”.
Source: DN
