Greece to Fund New Smart Cities Program with €320 Million

Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Photo source: @KEDE

A new Smart Cities program announced by the Greek government, which involves the digital transformation of municipalities, will be funded with 320 million euros, Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said on Friday during the annual conference of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece (KEDE).

According to Pierrakakis, works in Greek municipalities with over 100,000 residents will be funded by the Recovery Fund, while projects in smaller municipalities will be supported with funds from the National Strategic Reference Framework (ESPA).

The Smart Cities scheme includes the development of a wide range of digital services including smart parking solutions and cyber security.

“We will form a menu of multiple options that will allow municipalities to choose the solutions they need based on their budget and needs of their residents,” Pierrakakis said.

Some of the sectors that municipalities will be able to operate digitally include, among others, social policy, employment, health, education, culture, sports, environment, infrastructure, transport, tourism and financial management.

Photo source: @KEDE

Pierrakakis called on local authorities to closely cooperate with the relevant ministries in order to save time and develop the projects they need before the launch of tenders.

Referring to the country’s digital policy during the coronavirus pandemic, Pierrakakis said that Greece now offers approximately 1,300 digital services. He added that the country conducted 150 million digital transactions during the first six months of 2021.

The KEDE conference took place in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, under the theme “The world is changing, local authorities move forward” until October 16.