A number of municipalities are testing what smart systems can do for them, but large-scale implementations are still lacking. And that makes sense. To become a so-called 'Digital Master', you as a municipality must take a number of steps. A digital workplace is often an important first step.
I would love to write about great initiatives by municipalities about using artificial intelligence , virtual reality and machine learning. Municipalities that use this well, have many advantages. Think of automated processes, lower costs and more appreciation from citizens. But the reality is that for many municipalities this is currently a step too far.
Digitization is playing an increasingly important role in organizations. Many organizations are digitizing and automating processes. However, many municipalities are still lagging behind in this digitization. This is mainly due to fear of the unknown and the complex application landscape. Most municipalities work with and in many different systems. Many of these systems were 'closed' for a long time, not further developed and dependent on servers, which limited the 'ability to work anywhere'.
Nowadays, applications are becoming more greece number accessible, offered from the cloud and sometimes even mobile. This makes it easier for the municipality to innovate and work towards a simpler application landscape.
The digital transformation is therefore accelerating for many municipalities. In order to continue to support the citizen well, innovation in the field of ICT is not only desirable, it is very necessary.
A smart city is prepared for the future
As mentioned, more and more municipalities are using the available technology to better perform their task. This is how it becomes a smart city. The definition of a smart city is that the city uses data and thus controls the city intelligently. This data is collected, for example, by sensors spread throughout the city. This can be done by strips in the road surface that measure traffic density, air sensors that measure air pollution and sensors that monitor the flow in the sewer.
For example, Texel has smart street lighting . “The network combines new LED lamps with the intelligent, wireless technology of TU Delft spin-off Tvilight, which monitors the surroundings and automatically dims the lampposts when no one is around.” Texel has managed to reduce its energy costs by two-thirds and is the first Dutch municipality where public lighting is 100 percent energy-neutral.