The municipality of Lagos and the NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS), of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, signed this week a protocol of collaboration in the field of Smart Cities and data processing and management, which also extends to the Tourism sector.
This agreement "inserts itself in a logic of promoting the aspect of sustainable cities and communities, which seeks sustainability, inclusion, resilience and security in the multiple dimensions of urban intelligence, with a special focus on climate emergency, in a concept of circular economy." says the municipality of Lagos.
The Tourism sector will be one of the focuses of this initiative, «the data generated by it deserves special attention».
The protocol signed between the two entities covers collaboration in advanced training works in the area of Smart Cities & Regions (Smart Cities & Regions), such as post-docs, doctorates, masters, post-graduate courses, degree projects and others.
It also implies collaboration in research and development projects, as well as in knowledge transfer activities in this area and actions and events for dissemination and awareness, within the scope of the NOVA Cidade initiative, by Nova IMS.
«Municipalities are key structures in monitoring cities, namely because they are the public entities closest to the population, which is reflected in urban and social planning», says Hugo Pereira, mayor of Lagos.
«Only through close collaboration between the university world, municipalities and inter-municipal communities can we guarantee a significant evolution of the various urban contexts, with this collaboration being a strategic objective to guarantee the competitiveness of our municipality, in a world that is digitizing and promoting energy transition at an accelerated pace”, he explains.
For Miguel de Castro Neto, deputy director of NOVA IMS and coordinator of NOVA Cidade, «it is very important that municipalities think about their strategy, but it is also very important that they look at different territorial scales, how they can be articulated in a virtuous way for us to be able to explore the potential of digital transformation and build new approaches».
«NOVA IMS is a school with responsibility and tradition in the Innovation & Development sector in Portugal, namely in the area of information management, information systems and technologies, with a relevant role in creating added value, which promotes consolidation of theoretical and practical knowledge in our society».
“This is done through the application of technologies and analytical approaches, but it is also important to imagine the strategy, involve citizens and build a road map that allows us to reach the concept of a smart and sustainable city, and the Câmara de Lagos will be a great partner in this process», defends Miguel de Castro Neto.
Both entities believe that "true urban intelligence only happens when those who govern the territory are able to establish strategies that lead to the construction of the city as a platform, creating the necessary and sufficient conditions for, taking advantage of information management and data science leveraged on big data, radically change the paradigm of planning and management of our cities and towns», emphasizes the municipality of Lagos.
This agreement "also aims to keep the municipality informed about the projects, technologies and products that NOVA IMS may develop in the area, seeking to deepen a partnership in technical-scientific areas within the scope of this protocol", he concludes.
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