Scaling Drivers & Barriers
- Technological advancements:
- Technological advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) increase both the efficiency and effectiveness of existing digital infrastructure and tools.
- New technologies allow the development of new ways to create value for citizens.
- Prevalence of digital technology in society:
- As digital technologies become more prevalent among the population, the inhibition threshold for using them to obtain public services falls.
- This drives faster and more widespread adoption of business and public models around urban platforms and e-governance services.
- Public-private partnerships:
- Public-private partnerships allow public institutions to benefit from the specific technological expertise and capabilities of the private sector.
- They help overcome barriers related to the shortage of in-house IT personnel and provide technical legitimacy compared to municipal IT departments.
- Interoperability and standardization:
- The integration and interoperability of different digital systems within the district enhance their effectiveness and scalability.
- Standardization of data formats and communication protocols facilitates collaboration between different systems.
- Data privacy concerns:
- User concerns regarding data privacy constitute a considerable barrier to the implementation and adoption of technology-based business and public models.
- Clear and transparent communication on data collection and usage is essential to overcome this barrier.
- Digital divide:
- Certain groups of citizens, such as elderly people not used to digital infrastructure and tools or low-income citizens, might not have access to public services offered through digital technology-based models.
- Digital models should be introduced in parallel with existing analog solutions to prevent discrimination against individual population groups. Ensuring low-access barriers to digital infrastructure and providing technology education can help overcome this barrier.
- Technological obsolescence:
- The rapid pace of technological development may render digital solutions and technologies underlying business and public models obsolete.
- This hinders scaling efforts as actors might fear that the technology they invest in may become outdated rather than state-of-the-art once scaled.
This section highlights the factors that drive or hinder the scaling of digital infrastructure and ICT tools within SP1, offering insights into how to maximize the benefits and overcome challenges in urban development.