8 February 2022
In February 2019, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Forum " Smart sustainable cities: technological trends, success stories and future prospects" was held in Minsk for the first time. The Forum was jointly organized by the International Telecommunication Union, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and OJSC "Giprosvjaz" with the support of the Ministry of Communication and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus. The ITU Training "Key performance indicators for smart sustainable cities to achieve the SDGs" was held together with the forum.
The event considered technological trends and prospects, security and privacy, standardization and key performance indicators in the context of achieving the SDGs. Presentations were made by representatives of the Government of Moscow, the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus, UNDP Belarus, the BOMA consortium, UN-Habitat, ITU, Huawei, Nokia and research organizations in the CIS region.
The event caused a wide response among the audience and has been held annually since then. The content of the forum is constantly being modernized in accordance with the development of this direction in the region. Together with the forum, meetings of the Regional Groups of ITU-T Study Groups for Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus are held, where experts work out in more detail the issues of standardization of technologies, and also prepare contributions from countries for their subsequent defense at the meetings of the Study Groups at ITU headquarters.
The Forum «Smart Sustainable Cities: social, economic and governance perspectives» will be held in Minsk, Republic of Belarus, from 15 to 17 February 2022 for the fourth time. The forum will bring together successful cases from concepts and strategies to the implementation of specific technological solutions for citizens, city management and business.
On the eve of the event, we talked with Alexander Mokryagin, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus and Elena Shor, Deputy Head of the Department of the implementation of state ICT projects and procurement of the Ministry of Communications and Informatization of the Republic of Belarus.
When the first forum was held, as far as we know, the direction of smart sustainable cities was just beginning to develop in Belarus. Please tell us what progress has been made in Belarus since 2019?
Indeed, the dialogue platform of the Smart Sustainable Cities Forum began its work in Minsk in 2019, since 2019 the Ministry of Communications and Informatization has been building systematic consistent work towards the integrated implementation of smart city technologies. Sufficient infrastructural and information “reserves” have been created in the republic, such as basic conditions for the development of smart city technologies, clear plans for further movement have been formed, priorities and prospects have been identified.
A developed national information and communication infrastructure has been created in the country, creating many new opportunities for comprehensive and sustainable development, including overcoming the digital divide between the city and the region. A data transmission network meeting international standard, reliable centers for their storage and processing, identification mechanisms, tools for making electronic payments, modern electronic services and information security tools have been created.
Also, over the past few years, a sufficient theoretical base has already been formed in the direction of the development of smart city technologies. From 2019 to 2021, a generalized model Concept for the development of "smart cities" was developed, which is the basis for adaptation and scaling at the regional level, a number of research works on this topic were carried out, including the study of system properties and the development of draft main provisions that determine the implementation, operation and development of a unified smart city system, as well as adaptation of a standard concept with the development of road maps for more than twenty cities.
Since 2021, the implementation of the "project of the future" - "Smart Cities of Belarus", supported by the Head of State, has begun in the republic. The Ministry of Communications has formed and approved at the level of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus an Action Plan for the implementation of the "project of the future", which includes a range of activities that provide for the comprehensive and consistent implementation of the project: backbone, infrastructure, pilot and experimental projects, measures for legal and scientific support, organizational , educational and promotional.
The main tool for the practical implementation of the “project of the future” is the State Program “Digital Development of Belarus” for 2021-2025, which includes backbone, infrastructure measures. First of all, this is the creation of a typical regional state digital platform "Smart City" and its implementation by 2025 in 17 cities of Belarus.
Today, all the activities of the Plan are already being implemented. It gives reason to expect the implementation of large-scale plans for the formation of a digital ecosystem "digital state" in the future.
Perhaps the most distinctive feature of building smart cities in Belarus is that the country is actively developing medium and small cities, and pilot projects are primarily implemented there. Please tell us more about how this is implemented using the example of one of the cities.
The country prioritizes the task of concentrating resources in key areas of regional development and in centers of economic growth that have investment potential and the necessary conditions (developed infrastructure, quality of labor resources). Based on the tasks set by the Ministry of Communications and Informatization, along with the consistent implementation of republican digitalization projects, targeted preparations are being made for the systematic introduction of digital technologies in the regions of the republic, starting from eleven cities (districts) of the country with a population of more than 80 thousand people (cities 80+). These cities have been identified as potential centers of economic growth, in which it is planned to carry out priority digital transformation as pilot projects with a further prospect of scaling within the republic.
The Ministry of Communications and Informatization, within the framework of research work, organized and conducted pre-project surveys of these cities, studied their potential, identified the needs of citizens, developed Concepts for the development of "smart cities", formed "road maps" for their implementation. Currently, pilot projects are being implemented - first of all, in the city of Orsha, where work is underway to create rapid response centers, preparatory work for the implementation of the Smart Quarter pilot project, and the My City mobile application has been introduced. Implementation of the My City project started in Polotsk, today the project has been implemented by RUE Beltelecom in nine cities of the republic.
When implementing projects to build smart cities in Belarus, the experience of which countries and cities was the most interesting and useful for you?
Forming strategies and plans for the introduction of "smart city" technologies in the republic, the Ministry of Communications and Informatization relies on the research carried out within the framework of the previously mentioned scientific studies, including the analysis of international experience in implementing "smart city" solutions and the development of rational approaches to this issue. There are many typical solutions used, there are differences. In general, in these matters there is no single approach for copying both within the country and within a single city. Everywhere has its own needs, approaches, features, due to a significant range of factors. Therefore, we can say that just as each country proceeds from its own vision, so our republic forms the systematic introduction of digital technologies, starting from the capital and regions with further scaling in the republic.
What role, in your opinion, does the ITU forum play in the development of this area in the region?
The results of the Forum will undoubtedly provide a significant contribution to the development of the Smart Sustainable Cities system, not only in the regions, but throughout the country as a whole.
Let me express my gratitude to the International Telecommunication Union for organizing, coordinating and supporting such significant and bright events for the republic aimed at building smart sustainable cities for the Republic of Belarus. With wishes of success and further joint constructive work.
The Forum “Smart Sustainable Cities: social, economic and governance perspectives” will be held in Minsk, Republic of Belarus, from 15 to 17 February 2022. Detailed information is located on the website, registration is required to participate.
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