* By Jamile Sabatini Marques
The City 4.0 model redefines traditional urbanism, highlighting the key role of technology and data analysis in the transformation of urban infrastructures
The fundamentals of urban innovation are adopted in the economic vision of City 4.0, as they emphasize urbanism based on collective platforms and knowledge. This approach provides a future for cities that is more sustainable from an economic point of view, as well as resilient and inclusive. The concept of collective platform urbanism, a crucial pillar of City 4.0, seeks to transform the way cities plan their growth and development. The main focus of this strategy is the creation of an environment conducive to innovation, which promotes collaboration between various participants – including government bodies, the private sector, academic institutions and citizens themselves. This interaction between different perspectives and expertise is vital to developing effective solutions to today’s complex urban challenges.
The City 4.0 model redefines traditional urbanism, highlighting the key role of technology and data analysis in the transformation of urban infrastructures. This approach focuses on collecting and interpreting real-time data to improve urban systems such as transportation and energy management, as well as emphasizing human resource development, marketing innovation and the implementation of advanced technologies. In addition, urbanism that is based on collective platforms and knowledge highlights the importance of shared knowledge in solving intricate and multifaceted urban problems. While both methodologies recognize the central relevance of data, City 4.0 focuses on optimization and efficiency, in contrast, collective platform urbanism sees data as a common good, essential to democratize and foster innovation.
There is no doubt about the representativeness of entrepreneurship and innovation in economic advancement based on knowledge. Cities that seek to foster this interaction and economic growth must work in partnership with universities that cultivate a qualified workforce with an entrepreneurial spirit, together with incubators, accelerators, technology parks and investment funds, in addition to fostering innovation through development agencies. It is essential that legislation and public policies are structured to support the development of new companies, including regulation in order to benefit national competitiveness.
Within the City 4.0 vision, establishing a robust innovative ecosystem demands a comprehensive strategy that aligns the three pillars of sustainability defined by the United Nations (UN): economic growth, social advancement and environmental preservation. This ecosystem must operate from four central spheres: sociocultural, physical, institutional and economic. Although each sphere has its own foundations, when focusing on the elements that highlight the economic sphere, such as knowledge, creativity, encouraging innovation and competitiveness, the ability of cities to promote sustainable, knowledge-based economic development is perceived. A critical aspect of this approach is the valorization of open data. By facilitating access to this data for a variety of interested parties, the creation of new applications and services designed to enrich urban life is encouraged. These innovations can be applied in different sectors of the economy and it is necessary for the government to open the data in a clean way so that entrepreneurs can create new service options for citizens.
Effective data management is fundamental in the City 4.0 ecosystem, acting as a catalyst for innovation. These data, treated as common resources, have a great potential for impact on society, offering the possibility of restructuring cities in a more efficient and equitable way. Such common resources also include natural and cultural elements, essential for sustainable development.
An example of the lack of use of data for the improvement and intelligence of public services, in the city of Florianópolis/SC, recognized as a smart city, is the medical examination to obtain a driver's license, which is currently based on a system of draw. This is an approach that has proven to be inefficient and does not consider citizens' quality of life. The practice in use forces many to travel long distances around the city, which results in considerable loss of time. This management perspective needs improvements, especially when there are tools available that could optimize such services, with a focus on citizen well-being. In the case at hand, priority appears to have been given to registered medical centers, rather than focusing on the needs and convenience of citizens who require the service.
*Jamile Sabatini Marques is director of Innovation and Promotion and director of the Think Tank – Center for Innovation Intelligence, Public Policies and Innovation of the Brazilian Association of Software Companies – ABES and has already worked on some innovation promotion programs. She has a post-doctorate in Knowledge-Based Development from UFSC and the Institute of Advanced Studies at USP. She has a PhD in Engineering and Knowledge Management from the Federal University of Santa Catarina, where she defended her thesis on the importance of promoting Innovation to generate economic development based on Knowledge.
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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Originally published on the Connected Smart Cities Platform
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