International Case Studies of Smart Cities: Santander, Spain

This case study is one of ten international case studies developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in association with the Korean Research Institute for Human Settlements (KRIHS), for the cities of Anyang, Medellin, Namyangju, Orlando, Pangyo, Rio de Janeiro, Santander, Singapore, Songdo, and Tel Aviv. At the IDB, the Competitiveness and Innovation Division (CTI), the Fiscal and Municipal Management Division (FMM), and the Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI) coordinated the study. This project was part of technical cooperation ME-T1254, financed by the Knowledge Partnership Korean Fund for Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Korea. At KRIHS, the National Infrastructure Research Division coordinated the project and the Global Development Partnership Center (GDPC) provided the funding. The case of Santander as an object of study in the field of smart cities and as an international reference is known for the widespread deployment of devices, which makes it unique in the world as a testing ground. This, coupled with the diversity of services that are integrating technology throughout, means that today, the city, through its council, the university, and the successful tenderers for municipal services, is participating in more than 15 international projects. The next step, already underway, will be the integration of all smart services (e.g., water supply, solid waste collection, street lighting, and public transportation) into a single smart platform that will allow them to interact with each other and represents a step toward efficiency and smart city management.