NEW DELHI (INDIA): Having transformed Istanbul into a ‘city brand’, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has signed a cooperation agreement for a smart city consultancy project with Ericsson.
Under the umbrella of the Istanbul Informatics and Smart City Technologies (ISBAK AS) company, the IMM and Ericsson will work together to achieve Istanbul’s smart city vision and 2024 targets.
In 2016 Istanbul improved its standing in the World Global Cities index, rising from 29th to 25th place. By improving the city’s services and implementing integrated smart city management, the IMM and ISBAK AS aim to build on their momentum and accelerate their efforts to reach the top 5 of the rankings.
Charlotta Sund, Head of Customer Group Industry & Society at Ericsson, says: “IMM and ISBAK intend to achieve a fast, integrated, people-oriented transformation based on technology and innovation. Ericsson will work on key development areas in metropolitan Istanbul, as well as a number of identified targets related to urbanization, population growth and resource utilization. Assessments conducted together with IMM and ISBAK will guide our work as we aim to maximize this unique city’s opportunities.”
The IMM is guiding the project by reviewing global best practices; conducting literature searches and current situation analyses; and holding interviews and workshops with hundreds of chief information officers, public- and private-sector entities, universities, citizens, and stakeholders. The data obtained in these studies reveal the city’s current scorecard and provide a benchmark from which to work toward achieving Istanbul’s smart city vision.