Digital technologies are transforming government and urban governance. Cities are becoming smarter by digitising systems and integrating predictive tools into everyday services. Local Digital Twins (LDTs) and Local Digital Platforms (LDPs) enable this transformation by using data analytics and AI to create virtual replicas of urban environments and combining historical and real-time data. This allows cities to conduct real-time analyses and make data-driven decisions. The adoption of LDPs and LDTs is steadily gaining momentum across Europe, as local administrations increasingly recognise the transformative potential of these technologies to enhance urban environments. Nevertheless, even though LDTs are designed to vary in maturity and capabilities to assist smaller cities with their adoption, the pace of implementation remains uneven, mirroring the broader digital divide across the continent and highlighting a series of common challenges.
Intellera – part of a consortium involved in LDT-related projects in collaboration with the European Commission Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, Artificial Intelligence for Societal Good (CNECT.A.5) – has had the possibility to learn from the challenges and opportunities of LDTs adoption across Europe. By providing technical support to European cities, preparing procurement guidance material, and leading the consultation for the co-design and ongoing development of an open LDT Toolbox, Intellera has observed a range of obstacles faced by European cities throughout the LDT implementation process.
Three major challenges are commonly encountered when it comes to LDTs:
- Cities often struggle to establish clear and achievable strategies for digitalisation.
- Acquiring the necessary technology and tools for LDTs can be a significant hurdle due to complexities in procurement processes and resource constraints.
- Implementing LDTs within existing city infrastructures poses difficulties in terms of integration, adaptation, and effective utilisation of these technologies.
Within this context, Europe’s digital landscape is marked by significant disparities between urban centres and local administrations. Specifically, while major metropolises and advanced tech hubs often lead in digital innovation, smaller communities strive to accelerate their digitalisation efforts.
To address this gap, the European Commission is supporting projects focused on LDTs and LDPs. Grounded in the “2030 Digital Compass: The European Way for the Digital Decade” and the Digital Europe Program (DEP), these initiatives aim to foster a uniform and equitable digital transformation across Europe, enhancing social inclusion, sustainable growth, and global competitiveness while addressing digital inequalities.
When embarking on a digital transformation process, European cities often face a strategic challenge in effectively integrating LDTs into their digital transformation journeys. Evidence collected through our work with cities suggest that many of them struggle to fully grasp the transformative potential of LDTs and how their implementation can support the digitalisation of city services and systems across various sectors. Additionally, creating a clear and achievable roadmap for developing the necessary technological infrastructure and capabilities often seems unachievable to cities that are starting their digitalisation journeys.
The European project “Support Services for EU Smart Communities” provides targeted technical support to cities starting their digitalisation journey. Supported by the Consortium, participating cities receive maturity assessments and tailored digitisation roadmaps to facilitate effective LDT implementation and integration with existing infrastructure. To date, 35 cities have already received guidance on how to harness the potential of LDT for a smarter urban future, with a goal of reaching a total of 150 European cities in the coming months.
European cities are highly encouraged to join this initiative, as participants will receive free technical assistance to define digitisation roadmaps and leverage LDTs. For more details and to submit an Expression of Interest, please visit the project’s website.
As European cities progress from the strategic definition of the digitalisation roadmap towards its implementation, they also encounter a procurement challenge regarding the effective and efficient acquisition of smart city items. Workshops conducted by Intellera highlighted that involved communities struggle to understand their exact procurement needs and identify available market solutions. Also, limited technical expertise often hinders the creation of detailed technical specifications, which can reduce the quality or adequacy of the technology procured. Moreover, internal constraints such as time pressures, political factors, and organisational changes complicate the process.
To address these obstacles, clear guidance, templates, and dedicated support for smart city procurement are needed. Intellera is contributing to the development of an online Procurement Support Centre to provide these resources. This centre will offer standardised tools and templates for every stage of the procurement process, addressing common challenges.
Finally, further advancing in the concretion of the digitalisation roadmap, cities find a significant implementation challenge to build the LDT technical capabilities. Deploying an LDT is a highly technical task, involving the development of a complex IT ecosystem integrating physical components, such as sensors, and digital elements, such as software tools. Similarly, developers face hurdles in creating a suitable system applicable across diverse European contexts. The challenge is also logistical, requiring interoperability for seamless communication between components and adherence to diverse regulatory standards. Moreover, varying levels of digitalisation among European municipalities add complexity, making a one-size-fits-all solution difficult. Cultural and normative differences additionally influence adoption and implementation, necessitating solutions that meet local needs and practices.
Intellera supports the European Commission developing an open, modular, and interoperable LDT solution with fewer tools for easier adoption also in less digitally mature contexts. Preliminary results from LDT Toolbox development projects highlight the importance of tailored communication to directly engage interested cities. Collaboration with initiatives like LDT CitiVERSE and the European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) also help in addressing the digital maturity divide and paving the way for a cohesive, interconnected LDT network across the continent.
In conclusion, LDTs represent valuable digital infrastructure that can support the journey towards smarter and digital urban futures in Europe. While certain challenges are encountered, the European Commission and a vivid ecosystem of private and public sector actors are collaborating to level the playing field for cities to build a digitally inclusive future. Through collaborative efforts, the development of accessible tools, and a commitment to inclusivity, Europe can unlock the potential of LDTs to create smarter, more resilient, and more equitable urban environments for all.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Agustina Brizuela, Carola Corti and Eliana Gerardi
Quelle/Source: Euractiv, 06.08.2024
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