Page 34 - U4SSC Compendium of survey results on integrated digital solutions for city platforms around the world

4.5 Key factors and barriers to implementation

In Chile, there is great diversity among municipalities in terms of their available financial resources
and their capacity to leverage resources for this type of initiative. Some have made an effort to
digitize the services of their communes to improve the quality of life of their neighbours (Las
Condes, La Reina, Vitacura, Santiago, among others), but it is still insufficient to imagine an intelligent
metropolitan territory. Among the major obstacles to moving in this direction are the alternatives
for the financing of investments such as fibre-optic backbones, sensors, cameras, smart lights,
computers, software and the Integrated Operation and Control Centre. Currently, there are some
financing alternatives. However, these are still very limited for municipalities.
6

4.6 Stakeholders’ involvement

In a preliminary study carried out by the Innovation Club (2019) in Chile on the impacts of business
models in future cities, business opportunities were found in the following prioritized areas:
sustainability and environmental efficiency, citizen involvement and entrepreneurship in co-creation,
and digital transformation and services. It is, therefore, necessary to create a technological directory
that provides examples of governance for the development of open smart cities in metropolitan
regions in which the regional government, ministries, municipalities, trade unions of technology
providers, as well as academia all participate. These should address innovation in terms of new
digital services such as business models, and the organization and coordination of the digital
transformation of territories. The development of content for Open Smart Cities is still incipient
in Chile, and while these barriers must be overcome, they do represent a great challenge for the
development of smart cities and/or territories in Chile.

4.7 Other information of interest

Future trends

Here are some policy ideas that encourage the creation of open smart territories at the national
level:

• Smart infrastructure.

• Communication and sensorization networks.
• Public-private partnerships.

• Digital equality.
• Innovation.

The cities of the future are being built today. Chile has the means to rise to this challenge successfully
if it incorporates collaborative work and the use of technology as a necessary means for the
development of safer, more productive cities.

22 Compendium of survey results on integrated digital solutions for city platforms around the world