Presented to the Mayor and the City IBM’s advices for a smarter city

IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge team presented their advices aimed at helping Palermo’s city become a more inclusive community for migrants, new residents, and citizens through the use of sustainable technology and partnerships.

Following 45 hours of meetings, over 30 interviews with city stakeholders and the implementation of a structured Design Thinking approach, IBM has made some recommendations on how to accelerate social inclusion for the benefit of all Palermo citizens.
Specifically, the team has focused on critical areas such as education, employment, housing and communication, and how the interdependence between these areas can be transformed through access and use of technology. For example: training on a wide range of subjects, including digital skills and coding, can be improved through the use of e-learning; Palermo’s entrepreneurs can be supported through online access to processes, mentors and shared information; the rescue-to-residency process for migrants can be accelerated by the effective use of related IT infrastructures; and Palermo can learn from its past to shape its future through the use of predictive analysis.

A detailed report will be released at the beginning of 2018.

The mayor of Palermo Leoluca Orlando said: “This is a good example of public-private cooperation. IBM is accompanying us in building stronger processes of participation, thanks to the use of digitalization.

Angelo Failla, Director of the Foundation IBM Italia thanked the Mayor: “We are very grateful to the Mayor for the opportunity to provide the city IBM know-how. IBM has always been committed to promote what can stimulate inclusion, support innovation in critical areas to assist and benefit populations. “

The motivation of the selection says “As the largest city in Sicily, Palermo has received a huge percentage of the 160,000 migrants that have traveled to Italy in 2016. Palermo sees this as an opportunity to make the city as inclusive as ever by designing a proper welcoming, first-aid, and integration path, for each immigrant. With a goal of social inclusion into Palermo’s culture and economy, IBM will work with Mayor Orlando to transform this migration into an opportunity for the city of Palermo, its newest residents and for all citizens”.

Since 2010, IBM has awarded the Smarter Cities Challenge Grant to over 130 cities around the world, selected from more than 600 candidates, thanks to the work of 800 of the best IBM experts who have offered pro bono services for more than 68 Millions of dollars. Each consulting assignment has a commercial value of $ 500,000.

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Twitter: @citizenIBM.

 www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility

www.smartercitieschallenge.org/cities?page=6#cities

www.fondazioneibm.it/smarter-cities-challenge