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I Like This-What reasons led to the choice of Faro as a laboratory for a SmartCity?

Antnio Lima-The city of Faro has to be congratulated for this achievement not only for the County and its citizens but also for Portugal. Among the cities that applied to IBMs Smarter Cities Challenge in 2012, Faro was one of the only five European cities to be selected in that year. The Smarter Cities Challenge is a program launched in 2010 that aims to reach 100 cities, with a total investment of 50 million dollars - the largest IBMs investment in the field of Corporate Citizenship and allows IBMs experience to reach a whole set of cities and countries. This premium is reflected in giving quality time and expertise, which we believe is more valuable than money. Key factors for a successful application include a strong city leadership, willingness to collaborate with many stakeholders and willingness to become smarter and more efficient cities.

Cities also need to defend actionable and measurable efforts that have the potential to make a real impact on the lives of its citizens. In parallel, the winning candidates have to identify areas closely connected with the top priorities of the city, involving a whole range of disciplines and departments . The winning cities have to be willing to share detailed information with IBM and the application must be led by the President of the municipality.

I Like This-What is the role of IBM in its three weeks permanence in Faro, consequence of the Smarter Cities Challenge?

Antnio Lima-During that period, IBM executives international team met with all the various stakeholders of the project, as the Secretary of State of the Sea, Faro Municipal Council, Committee for Coordination and Regional Development of the Algarve, Algarve University, public entities, local associations, Mar Algarve, small and medium entrepreneurs, among others, in order to assess, analyze and recommend structural improvements in the area of the maritime economy. At the end of this mission, IBM team prepared a report where new opportunities have been studied and recommended strategies and specific actions in the areas of innovation, tourism and maritime economy.

I Like This-What are the measures proposed by IBM and that you think will be more easily implemented?

Antnio Lima-The implementation of the recommendations presented by the team of executives from IBM will surely help Algarve positioning itself in innovation area, in expanding its sea economy and become a travel destination of excellence, achieving to balance economic development with the preservation of its beauty. It is not a competence of IBM to predict which of the recommendations will be implemented in the near future. As I mentioned before, they are mere recommendations and it is competence of the City Council and other stakeholders to

develop a path from them. I only can refer the recommendations that the consultants considered most pressing to the development of the region. The first concerns the creation of an open data platform, i.e. a scalable ecosystem in real time, allowing predictive analysis that can sustain the economic growth of the region through knowledge, innovation, exchange and consumption of information. Second, to create an innovation center for expertise in order to enable the existing workforce, attract the younger generation and improve specialist capabilities in order to support the future workforce and marine economic diversity. Third, to create a chain value of regional collaboration, managed as shared services platform on a public- private partnership, to maximize the economic benefits of the Algarve Sea. And finally, to capture new and retain the existing tourists , reducing the seasonality of tourism, promoting access to the most exclusive products in the Algarve such as handicrafts, culture, gastronomy, golf, water sports activities and nature tourism, through personalized and available in real-time offerings , tailored to the individual tastes of every tourist and accessible through specific applications..

I Like This-How is the team formed?

Antnio Lima-The team consisted of three Americans, an Irishman and a colleague of SPGI region (Spain, Portugal, Greece and Israel) which, coincidentally, was Portuguese.

I Like This-What are the main partners of the project?

Antnio Lima-The main responsible agents and critical elements for the projects success were identified considering the organizational point of view, its conceptual structure, business model and suggested technical solutions. We are talking about the Secretary of State of the Sea, Mayor of Faro, the Algarve University, Committee for Coordination and Regional Development of the Algarve, public entities, local associations and small and medium entrepreneurs.

I Like This-Does Faro have own infrastructure to become a smart city?

Antnio Lima-Because of its excellent geographical location, environmental and natural resources, its culture and surrounding media, Faro has all valences and necessary characteristics to become a smart city. It just needs to develop higher levels of organization and cooperation between public and private entities, sharing its statistics, mainly the oceanographic, environmental and atmospheric ones, generating indicators at the service of regions economy. It should also be made a more efficient use of the existing knowledge in the University of the Algarve, as well as the professionals who daily are in contact with the sea.

I Like This-Is the local government will consistent with the prize awarded? How was it accepted within the government?

Antnio Lima-With a practical and pragmatic approach the implement of these recommendations can and should be translated into real projects, making the city of Faro and the Algarve region global benchmarks in Europe and worldwide.

I Like This-Is Faro the first Portuguese city selected in the IBM project?

Antnio Lima-Faro was so far the only Portuguese city selected for the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge. Being in Europe selected only 15 over the past three years: Mlaga, Stravanger, Bucharest, Eindhoven, Glasgow, Birmingham, Nice, Helsinki, Katowici, Dortmund, Belfast, Copenhagen, Lodz, Faro and Syracuse.

I LIKE THISSMART CITY PROJECT DEVELOPED IN FARO

FARO DISTINGUISHED AS THE FIRST PORTUGUESE SMART CITY

In the context of the contest sponsored by IBM, the city of Faro was elected the first Portuguese smart city. The Smart Cities Challenge is a global competition that aims to provide consulting expert support in order to set guidelines for making cities more effective and smart.

I Like This Magazine interviewed Rogrio Bacalhau, Mayor of Faro who explained the project and the advantages inherent to this distinction.

I Like This-In what context did the opportunity of application of Faro to Smart Cities Challenge appear?

Rogrio Bacalhau-It is important to start by clarifying that this IBM Smart Cities Challenge is a worldwide competition for cities capable of submitting innovative projects of action in order to benefit from high-level consultancy by IBM experts who, after a period working in the town itself, present a report with recommendations for the future.

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