The future of the "Smart City" and the best regional practices were presented at the National Centre RUSSIA
The III National Award for contribution to the development of digitalization of urban economy "Smart City" opened at the National Centre RUSSIA on May 14. The event served as a platform for dialogue and exchange of experience among dedicated participants seeking to improve life in Russian cities through new technologies and innovative solutions. The National Centre RUSSIA welcomed around one thousand guests — representatives of government bodies, experts, and business leaders. The award programme was launched with a plenary session titled "Smart City in the Structure of National Projects."
"Smart City" is a project aimed at developing infrastructure for life in Russia, with a key principle being the adaptation of technologies to the needs of people. As part of the project, cities and rural settlements across Russia, with support from the Government of the Russian Federation, adopt, develop and replicate the best solutions for the digitalization of urban infrastructure. As a result, the digitalization index of urban infrastructure has increased by more than 40%.
Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Grigorenko addressed the participants of the plenary session with a welcoming speech.
"Today, over 16 billion devices are connected to the internet around the world. That’s twice the population of the Earth. These devices send signals and exchange information. We are moving towards infrastructure that is learning to think, making the world safer, modernizing the transport approach, and caring for the environment. And you are the ones leading this movement," Dmitry Grigorenko said in his video message to the experts.
The speakers discussed key trends in the digital transformation of urban infrastructure, which are based on Russia's technological sovereignty. Today, the digital quality of life for Russian citizens begins with the smart home. Technologies are being introduced into apartment buildings and are widely used by housing and utilities specialists. At the same time, the scale of domestic digital platforms continues to grow. For example, the mobile application "Gosuslugi Home" is being modernized, as noted by the Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, Maksut Shadayev.
"Digital technologies are being actively implemented in specific sectors and are delivering effective results that our citizens can feel. For us, the 'smart home' consists of three components. First, it is difficult to imagine a smart home without fast and affordable internet. We are addressing the task of simplifying access for providers to apartment buildings. A law has been passed that simplifies the connection process. It is very important that there is more than one provider. Second is the engineering system: sensors, intercoms. These must be an integral part of apartment buildings and should be planned at the construction stage. The third component is the management of the apartment building. We have major plans for implementing the 'Gosuslugi Home application to manage property maintenance processes, interact with management companies and neighbours — so that everything is convenient and simple," emphasized Maksut Shadayev.
As the speakers noted, today, in almost all regions and cities of Russia, 90% of operations in the field of urban infrastructure take place in digital format. Regional practices, as well as the adaptation of Moscow’s most successful projects to the local level, were presented during the plenary session by Deputy Governor of the Kaluga Region Dmitry Razumovsky.
"The very concept of the 'Smart City' project is invaluable. We are implementing a number of Moscow's solutions in our region, adopting the best management practices and approaches. In the implementation of the 'Smart City' project, we focus on people and economic efficiency. For example, thanks to a large volume of publicly available digital data about our region, we are fighting Sosnowsky’s hogweed. Citizens can submit electronic requests indicating locations where the plant is growing so that services can be dispatched to remove it. The second important area is monitoring systems, such as air quality monitoring, which is displayed on a special map," said Dmitry Razumovsky.
Deputy Governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra, Pavel Tsiporin, presented his region's unique experience in digitalizing healthcare processes.
"We have completed a project called 'Health Robot.' Robots have been installed in kindergartens, and they conduct automatic health screenings for children arriving in the morning. In just a few minutes, the robot assesses the child's condition and, if signs of illness are detected, refers the child to the kindergarten's medical professional. In many cases, the robot identifies illness earlier than the medical worker," said Deputy Governor of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra, Pavel Tsiporin.
According to Ksenia Sukhotina, Director General of JSC Rosatom Infrastructure Solutions, investment in digital solutions must be included in the budgets of regions and cities.
"I would like to touch on two topics — safety and the economy. Digitalization is especially important at the operational stage. We are all used to thinking that a 'Smart City' is very expensive and not affordable for every city. However, 'Smart City' technologies help reduce costs once they are integrated into urban infrastructure. For example, when a city quickly responds to energy leaks, it reduces the risks associated with the operation of industrial and social facilities. This is support for the city budget. Investment in digitalization must be planned in advance. Today, domestic solutions are not only of high quality but also secure," emphasized Ksenia Sukhotina.
The programme of the III National Award for contribution to the development of digitalization of urban economy "Smart City" continued with plenary and strategic sessions, where experts analyzed not only current trends but also strategies being developed for the further advancement of smart cities in Russia. A presentation of modern solutions was also held, and participants gained access to information about advanced engineering and digital developments that will help them implement best practices in their regions.
The programme will include a formal award ceremony for the winners of the prize. An exposition is also open to participants, showcasing the best implemented and prospective projects within the "Smart City" concept.
The "Smart City" National Award is organized by the Smart City Competence Centre with the support of key government bodies, including the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Digital Development, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the Ministry of Transport of Russia, as well as the State Duma.
