Human Capital
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Universities and Research Centres are key players in the innovation ecosystem. This is why cities are increasingly aware of the need to promote cooperation between companies and knowledge centres, so as they may contribute to the economic and social development of their cities. Proof of this is that 68% of cities have developed some form of action for this line, especially in Europe, Africa and Latin America.
Internet has become a major channel of communication, to the point that cities must include new tools of on‐line marketing and communication in their promotion strategies. Evidence of this need and tendency is that the vast majority of cities (93%) has a web site as their main channel of communication with the public.
R&D&i Public Administrations play a key role in transforming the innovation system through their ability to develop infrastructure, support emerging sectors and encourage R&D&i. This is why most cities dedicate a percentage of their revenue on R&D in their territories. The average percentage of revenue dedicated to R&D stands at 1.59%.
3. Smart Governance Smart Governance includes political and active participation, citizenship services and the smart use of e‐Government. In addition, it often relates to the use of new communication channels, such as e‐government or "e‐democracy". Local Public spending on ICT New technologies represent the first step in Innovation and Competitiveness; therefore, investment in ICT is an opportunity to enhance the development of a city through their influence in other sectors and their contribution to the efficient management of Public Administrations. In this sense, the mean percentage of Public spending on ICT in cities on the total budget stands at 3%.
Strategic plans to promote e‐Government and ICT One of the main commitments entered into by Local Authorities at the Bilbao Summit was precisely the development of Strategic Plans related to the Information Society. The cities have sought to meet this commitment. Proof of this is that 64% of cities have developed an e‐Government action plan. On‐line public services The introduction of new technologies to public administrations greatly improves the productivity and quality of the service offered to citizens and businesses, providing access to government services at any time and place in a more convenient, personalised, faster and less expensive manner. As a result of the implementation of e‐Government plans, more and more cities are offering the possibility of on‐line services. However the percentage of public services that can be performed on‐line in most cities (64%) is still small, ranging from 0% to 25% of the services offered by cities. Among the major on‐line services offered by cities, we can mention the possibility of filing complaints and claims, requesting certificates and reports, making payments and debits, on‐line registrations and paying taxes and fees. Furthermore, the percentage of cities that offer the possibility of using electronic signatures for municipal procedures is increasing (54%). Electronic signatures are legally equivalent to handwritten signatures and allow the identification of certificate holders, enabling to electronically sign the data being submitted, so that its integrity and origin can be verified.
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