The Region of Umbria, the of , the and Telecom Italia today signed a Memorandum of Understanding initiating a partnership for the development of a “Smart Town Living Lab”. The of becomes the first town in the region to trial a model that leverages Telecom Italia’s “” technology infrastructure, which is capable of offering low environmental impact and eco-sustainable services.
Under the terms of the agreement, preparatory research will be conducted with a view to setting up a “Living Lab” for the local area and local people, prior to building the infrastructure for an energy-efficient “San Gemini Smart & Green” zone. The project connects lighting installations to the telecommunications network to foster more efficient usage: the system reduces consumption and CO2 output, and is used to manage and enhance service provision.
Taking advantage of a partnership with the Aspasiel company, adoption of this technology model will allow the Municipality to manage its economic resources more rationally, reinvest resources in other services such as security, communications and mobility, and demonstrate greater attentiveness to citizen needs.
This initiative falls within the European Commission’s framework of recommendations for promoting and adopting innovative ICT-based solutions to foster the realization of “Smart Cities”. User-led innovation is favoured by the Commission as a means of testing and developing new services, and of enhancing urban area competitivity. For “Living Labs”, the idea is to include end-users of services (residents, tourists and businesses) in the creative process from the earliest stages, in order to be able to monitor new and emerging behaviour and trends. This approach helps bridge the gap between innovation/technological development and the various players along the value chain (government institutions, business and citizens).
Under the agreement, a “Steering Committee” will be established to draft a strategic plan for the “Living Lab”.
Telecom Italia’s Head of Public Sector Operations Tuscany, Stefano Cinquini, says: “This agreement is another sign of Telecom Italia’s innovation-driven outlook and commitment to developing digital services for local areas that can boost the competitiveness of local government and improve quality of life for citizens. The company draws on its consolidated experience and professional expertise to implement energy efficiency and eco-sustainable-oriented development ventures, in full compliance with the strategic orientations of the Umbrian regional government and provincial administration.”
Terni, 26 November 2010
