Smart Regions

Abstract

The concept of Smart Regions is based on the vision of more cost-effective public administration. This vision comes after a period of de-industrialization and growing populations in cities. Growing populations in growing cities require better public services. At the same time, there is growth in new information technologies, which creates a new market and forms the basis for new industrial growth. This article describes the results of a survey conducted in cooperation with the Public Roads Administration, Municipality of Aalesund and Sunnmøre Regional Council. The overall aim was to investigate whether the Smart Grid is a generic concept that is transferable to other public services. It was then studied the basic ideas that are underpinning for Smart-term now used conjunction with Smart Technology, Smart Media, Smart Grid, Smart House, Smart Transport, Smart Cities and Smart Regions. The survey is based on workshops, participation in international conferences, a systems analysis of concept models and development of simple simulation models for testing the concept models for Smart Grid and Smart Transport. The study concludes that the concept of Smart Grid in the energy sector is only a symptom of a more profound reform process in public services. The explanation is that information technology integrates data and organizations at a higher level. When the whole community uses the same data, the same technology and the same analysis, they will choose select similar organizational concepts. Integration of organizations at a higher level leads to a system perspective on the management of cities, economic development, environment and ecosystems, where the data that forms the basis for decisions. This leads to the management of organizations change focus from a function-oriented and to a system oriented organizational model. 1