The City of Edinburgh Council has confirmed that it has launched a new digital strategy to progress the Scottish capital’s ambitions for the city to become more sustainable and inclusive.
Aiming to accelerate digital transformation in Edinburgh, the Digital and Smart City Strategy 2024-2027 has now been approved by members of the Policy and Sustainability Committee. This is the second iteration of the strategy, with the first being launched in 2020 and helping the council to make significant progress when it comes to the way that digital tools are used to improve infrastructure and services across the city.
The achievements that have come thanks to the strategy range from improving access to the council website, to bin and damp sensors on the streets and in homes respectively. Mandatory cyber training has also been introduced for all council employees, to ensure that resilience can be built, and digital safety encouraged as a time of increased threat to large organisations.
Other achievements include the introduction of integrated public transport information and constant monitoring of busy areas to make sure that the city is connected and safe, as well as developing connectivity around the city by improving the digital infrastructure and making access to the internet more inclusive.
Cammy Day, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said:
“Our biggest priorities for Edinburgh are to create good places to live and work, tackle poverty and inequality and become a net zero city. Our Smart City approach is central to all three of those aims.
“We’ve achieved a lot in the last three years to make Council services more efficient and accessible and to improve connectivity - but we have a big ambition to make sure every resident, regardless of background or ability, has access to affordable digital services and the skills they need.
“We plan to build on our use of smart technology to improve day to day council services, and we’re looking at using data monitoring to better understand how people get around and use the city. Edinburgh is a growing magnet for tech and we plan to partner with universities, companies and start-ups to further grow and attract global investment.
“By embracing innovation, we can improve the quality of life for everyone who lives and works here.”
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