SINGLE INFORMATION AND DATA PLATFORM FOR THE SMART CONCEPT

Pillar 1 (P-01): Single Information and Methodology Platform

Justification for implementation

The creation of a single information and methodology platform is key for the performance of activities aimed at improving the availability of information facilitating the implementation of strategy “Smart Cities – robustness through SMART solutions for villages, towns, cities and regions” and will support the implementing of SMART solutions. Information and methodology support for all partners at just a single point will ease the role of MMR in advancing SMART solutions for sustainable development in villages, towns, cities and regions and for the improvement of quality of lives – wellbeing – of their inhabitants. 

KA1: Collection of qualitative information from the representatives of municipalities and regions, from people responsible for village, city or regional development, from managers in charge of SMART solutions.

• The purpose of qualitative research, which is designed as a targeted questionnaire survey combined with in-depth interviews, will be to collect information – feedback – on awareness of existing methodologies, understanding the terms “SMART Village, City or Region, understanding the SMART concept principles, availability of information necessary for implementing the SMART concept and SMART solutions. The activity will find out what the current situation is in terms of human capital necessary to develop SMART solutions and identify the corresponding needs and barriers so as to set up the functionalities of the information and methodology platform appropriately.
• The objective is to, on individual basis, amend missing information which has not so far been purposefully sought under other implemented projects (such as the “Smart Cities Strategic Framework by SMO (Union of Cities and Villages)” implemented by Czech Republic SMO (Operational Program for Employment, finished 2020) or project “Analysis of Current Involvement of the Czech Republic in the Smart City and Smart Region Concept in the Context of New Trends, including proposed measures”, executed for the CR Government (TAČR Beta2 Program, finished 2018).

KA2: Methodical and Knowledge Support by the Work Group for MMR Smart Cities

• The objective is for the work group to provide methodical and knowledge support for MMR Smart Cities both in terms of information transfer, including good practice examples both from the Czech Republic and abroad, and to support establishing contacts with experts from CSCC membership, as well as other experts according to the Quadruple Helix model, including SMART managers and people working in regional development at the municipal and regional levels, involved in the implementation of either the SMART concept or SMART solutions. This activity also includes transfer of information concerning potential sources of funding for SMART solutions.

KA3: Cooperation on the Preparation and Performance of the Implementation Plan

• • Cooperation on the preparation and performance of the implementation plan of the Smart Cities Concept – Robustness through SMART Solutions for villages, towns, cities and regions will include both participation in creating the actual contents and in coordinating activities in creating documentation. The core is primarily to collect good practice examples from both the Czech Republic and abroad.

Target group

The target group consists primarily of the representatives of municipalities and regions, civil servant heads and municipal and regional civil servants (especially those involved in SMART or regional development), the relevant department of MMR and members of the MMR Smart Cities Work Group, as well as other partners, including the relevant public administration authorities.

Pillar 2 (P-02): SMART Platform for Strategic Documents

Justification for implementation

The platform will allow for concentrating and administering relevant documents, whether already in existence or in preparation, at all levels – from the national and regional down to the municipal level, in linkage to the SMART concept. WEBSYSTEM that we have developed as a pilot within our internal activities will allow for data mining of these strategies for the purposes of policy-making processes to all partners according to the Quadruple Helix model, including the MMR Work Group for Smart Cities.

KA4: Practical utilization of the WEBSYSTEM, its widening and adaptation to suit the needs of all partners

A single web platform with SMART information sources and relevant documents will be created to allow all partners to get the following from just a single point:

• Files with strategic and legislative documents, methodologies, subsidy opportunity information and field-specific trend information (including technological trends), instruction videos and links to other information resources;
• Possibility to prepare SMART projects nationwide on-line, consistently pursuant to a single methodology, depending on specified priorities under international and national strategies, subsidy programs, regional strategies, etc. The objective is to optimize a unified parametric data system, which will facilitate the preparation of SMART strategies and provides the MMR Smart Cities Work Group with information on trends, nationwide summary of SMART projects, investment volumes on a time line and technological needs and targets of municipalities or regions preparing SMART strategies. Additionally, MMR will receive a strong on-line tool (data mining) to optimize the planning of grant calls, development trend prognosis and feedback. The system will provide a “single data interface”, which will provide Exports, Analyses, Statistics, Trends and is ready for integration with MMR IT systems (www.databaze-strategie.cz).
• single on-line point to register SMART strategies of individual villages, cities, towns and regions, including a depository of national and international examples of good practices.

KA5: Concentration and administration of relevant documents

• This activity will include continuous collection of relevant documents and their loading into the system. All partners and originators of strategic documents will be addressed to take active part and upload their strategies into the system. It will provide a unique possibility to enter plans – fishes. An integral part is the setting and administration of the entire system.

Target group

The target group consists primarily of the representatives of municipalities and regions, civil servant heads and municipal and regional civil servants (especially those involved in SMART or regional development), the relevant department of MMR and members of the MMR Smart Cities Work Group, as well as other partners, including the relevant public administration authorities.

Pillar 3 (P-03): Media and Educational Platform

Justification for implementation

The third pillar aims at raising awareness of the SMART concept, particularly with a view to implementations of concept “Smart Cities – Robustness through SMART Solutions for villages, towns, cities and regions and SMART solution implementations”, including their funding. The concerned educational activities will also instruct partners on how to use the WEBSYSTEM and how to work with information resources.

KA6: Training seminars designed for all partners according to the Quadruple Helix model.

• If it is not possible to hold the seminars in person, they will be held exclusively on-line. Seminars will primarily focus on the needs of villages, towns, cities and regions to support sustainable development.
• They will be aimed at facilitating implementations of concept “Smart Cities – Robustness through Smart Solutions for Villages, Towns, Cities and Regions and implementations of SMART Solutions”, including their financing.
• The seminars will include a theoretical section on global trends, linking to European strategic documents (especially concerning climate changes and wellbeing) and national strategic documents (especially concerning digitalization and sustainable regional development), as well as good practice examples both in the area of SMART strategy creation and SMART solutions.
• Attention will be paid to “soft” tools, horizontal and vertical networking of individual partners and instructions on how to work with the WEBSYSTEM and information sources available.

KA7: PR activities to promote SMART solutions

• CSCC websites, MMR websites, possibly the websites of other partners (e.g. Members of CSCC) will be used to promote the SMART concept, the brand of municipalities that have SMART strategies or have become successful SMART solution implementers will be reinforced. 
• SMART solutions will also be promoted using the social networks (Twitter, Facebook) within the actual WEBSYSTEM and through videos.
• Outputs of the project will be disseminated to all relevant partners, both at home and abroad, which will spread the good reputation of CSCC and MMR.

Target group

The target group consists primarily of the representatives of municipalities and regions, civil servant heads and municipal and regional civil servants (especially those involved in SMART or regional development), the relevant department of MMR and members of the MMR Smart Cities Work Group, as well as other partners, including the relevant public administration authorities.