The discussion was part of the first workshop on Sofia’s participation in the EC PolicyCLOUD Project for Data-Driven Policies through Cloud Technologies. The event was held online on 16 January 2021 and was organised by the team of Innovative Sofia – the Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development department of Sofia Municipality.
PolicyCLOUD is a Horizon 2020 project of the European Commission for policy management through technologies across the complete data lifecycle on cloud environments. The online discussion was attended by representatives of the Sofia Municipality directorates, experts from Green Sofia, Sofia Plan, as well as the Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation, and Economic Development Gencho Kerezov. The GATE Institute was represented by Assoc. prof. Dessislava Petrova-Antonova, Research Group leader.
The participants agreed that public institutions do not use the full potential of the data, information is often fragmented, and interoperability between datasets is missing. There is a need for a common understanding of data usage as well as technical means and infrastructure to organize, filter and link different data. The activities for the systematization and standardisation of the information should continue. Data needs to be collected, analysed and visualized for the purpose of long-term urban solutions that work in an integrated way.
Through the PolicyCLOUD project, Sofia will have the opportunity to perform simulations, tests, and analyses of potential policies using different categories and types of data. This will allow the city to prototype and implement smart, informed, and evidence-based urban initiatives.
More information about the project is available here