Four fifths of Serbian self-government units plan to introduce smart solutions

BELGRADE - Four fifths of Serbian local self-government units are familiar with the concept of smart cities and mostly associate it with using modern technologies and innovation to improve the citizens' quality of life, shows a survey conducted by the National Alliance for Local Economic Development (NALED) as part of the StarTech project.

The survey results also show that more than half of Serbian municipalities have implemented projects employing innovative solutions ranging from LED public lighting and smart benches for charging electronic devices to audiovisual sensors on traffic lights and solar energy in residential buildings, the NALED bulletin said.

Despite understanding all the benefits of smart solutions, local self-government units lack a strategic approach for development of such solutions and funds for their implementation.

Underdeveloped infrastructure and a lack of expertise in innovation pose additional challenges to the local authorities, which believe that utility services, infrastructure, environmental protection and transport were the areas offering the largest space for implementation of smart solutions.

Despite the challenges they face, 65 per cent of local self-government authorities plan to carry out projects involving elements of the concept of smart cities through further digitalisation of the work of public administration, boosting energy efficiency and transport safety, waste water treatment, introduction of remotely-readable water meters, special sensors for disabled parking and installation of solar panels on private and public buildings, NALED said.