The Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Hertie School of Berlin launched a new Training Course on Evidence-Informed Policymaking. Policymakers from around Europe, including representatives of the Committee of Regions, gathered in Berlin last month for a two-day training in evidence-informed policymaking and our team was among the participants.
City governments are facing an increasing complexity and increasing politicisation of the policy-making process. In addition, there is an ongoing process of externalization: i.e. increasing relevance of non-governmental actors who provide policy advice. The vast variety of evidence is difficult to analyze, especially when it comes to evidence on evaluating government programs and policies. It is crucial to distinguish between misleading and useful evidence.
Going beyond “correlation is not causation”, the course covered how to distinguish between observational evidence, which could be misleading, and quasi-experimental evidence, internal vs. external validity (‘relevance’) of evidence, recognizing spillover effects and how to design policy impact evaluations.
The course explored the various tools in the policy making toolbox and building analytical capacity for policy implementation.
AI for policymaking is also a big topic.
AI has a slower pace of adoption in government due to privacy and ethics concerns. As algorithms play a growing role in criminal justice and education for example, there is a growing recognition of embedded bias in AI. Security concerns are also growing. Another big problem is the lack of investment and skilled talent. Different approaches to AI solutions like sandbox prototyping and co-developing with universities and private partners might be the way to go to ensure larger adoption of AI projects in the public sector.
We examined several use cases from the Essex Centre for Data Analytics (ECDA) in the UK.
***
About Joint Research Centre (JRC)
The Joint Research Centre is the European Commission’s science and knowledge service. It employs scientists to carry out research in order to provide independent scientific advice and support to EU policy. JRC collaborates with over a thousand organisations worldwide. Its work and research has a direct impact on the lives of citizens by contributing to a healthy and safe environment, secure energy supplies, sustainable mobility and consumer health and safety.
About Hertie School in Berlin
The Hertie School in Berlin is a private independent graduate school with more than 95 countries represented among alumni and currently enrolled students. It has a right to confer doctoral degrees. The Hertie School encourages
At the initiative of CampusX and The Bulgarian Startup Association (BESCO), Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia for Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development, participated in a network meeting with Sofia’s technological and startup community. He presented the goals and the first initiatives of the new department of Sofia Municipality which will operate under the name Innovative Sofia.
Issues that the ecosystem itself sets as priorities for the city were discussed during the meeting. Among them were the opening of data for the city; the provision of machine-readable data; opportunities for using Intelligent Process Automation to extract information from a text or images and analyzing it through artificial intelligence (from document templates to street traffic); can the Municipality participate in the regulatory framework at a national level; what is the procedure through which businesses can offer solutions for implementation at the city level; what are the ways to achieve a more structured collaboration between the city and the business; what are the financial resources of the city and how will it fund digital and innovative solutions; are there legal acts that impede the provision of facilitated electronic services and will such be updated; will new e-services be established in areas where they are not currently available; is there a plan for the implementation of new solutions, etc.
We would like Sofia to be one of Europe’s technology leaders, with a good environment for living and starting a business. We would like the city to be recognized as a testing ground, as a place where intelligent urban solutions are developed, a place where products and services are launched for the city by local companies, Deputy Mayor Danailov said and outlined the first three steps in which the new department will focus on.
A priority for Sofia Municipality is to reduce the administrative burden for citizens and businesses by increasing the number of electronic services to 170 over the next two years, as well as the implementation of modern technologies, since the current electronic system was created 5-7 years ago.
Another task is the opening of the data of the city and its use by the business. This year the Municipality plans to invite local startup and technology companies to test solutions. More pilot projects should be supported, and when there is a new developed solution available, it should be implemented more easily in the city.
Bulgarian Cities and Regions Are Invited to Apply for the 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge Programme
After the success of the Digital Cities Challenge (DCC), the European Commission just launched the follow up project, the 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge, to involve more cities and bigger scope. Being a part of the existing DCC network of cities, Sofia was invited to apply for the successor initiative.
We are glad to spread the news that the call is open for other Bulgarian cities, as well as for cities and regions across Europe that may wish to profit from the initiative.
The application period is now open. All relevant details concerning the timeline are already published on intelligentcitieschallenge.eu.
Deadline for applications: 6 April 2020, 11:59 CET
The 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge (100 ICC) will sustain, reinforce and expand the existing DCC network of 40+ cities. It will support EU cities to build ecosystems for smart, green, climate-neutral, sustainable growth, with a focus on green industrial transition and new business models. It will help implement at local level the new EU political guidelines at local level, e.g. through local Green Deals, and lead tech uptake for better life.
The program includes:
- – local visits, events, network support activities,
- – support by lead experts and thematic experts
- – a 30-month programme delivered by regional specialists based on the collective expert experience of over 100 smart city strategies, tailored to the biggest thematic issues for your city – be it energy, mobility or security, or other local priorities.
Please find more details on the call here.
For more information about the participation of Sofia in the Digital Cities Challenge Programme and the benefits from the initiative, please follow the links provided on our webpage Digital Sofia: investsofia.com/en/digital-sofia.
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us for details.
Mark-Aleks Evtimov
mark.aleks.evtimov@investsofia.com
Are you a highly innovative company based in Sofia? Are you involved in Fintech, Insurtech, AI, Cyber Security, Blockchain?
Join the Frankfurt Fintech Tour, a two day trip that will feature meetings and workshops with local investors, banks, regulators, fintech hubs, and corporates with interest in novel financial solutions.
Application deadline: 9 March, 2020
Tour facts, preliminary agenda and registration link: investsofia.com/en/frankfurt-fintech-tour
Sofia and Vienna will expand their activities under the joint City-to-City business cooperation programme. In addition to providing support to the businesses in both cities, the two capitals will collaborate on challenges in the fields of digital innovation and digital transformation.
The decision was made in the middle of February during the two-day visit of the new Deputy mayor of Sofia for Digitalisation, Innovation and Economic Development, Mr. Vladimir Danailov, to Vienna. The Deputy Mayor met with Mr. Peter Hanke, Executive City Councillor of Finance, Business, Digital Innovation and International Affairs, Mr. Gerhard Hirczi, Managing Director of Vienna Business Agency, Ms. Sabine Ohler, International Business Director VBA, Ms. Ulrike Huemer, CIO of the City of Vienna, and Nicolai Rodimov, Regional Manager VBA.
Sofia and Vienna agreed to start active cooperation on city management and urban politics issues. The scope of collaboration includes best practice exchange, knowledge transfer, mutual application for EU instruments supporting digital transformation, and involvement of Vienna and Sofia companies in the digital transformation processes of the two capitals.
The City-to-City agreement between Vienna and Sofia was signed at the end of 2018 and prolonged for one more year in September 2019. The partnership targets companies from various priority sectors, such as Fintech, ICT, Creative Industries, Biotechnology and Life Sciences, and others. The City-to-City agreement aims to provide support to companies that want to start a business in the partner city, by providing them with information, access to contacts and practical help in setting up.
The 7th Annual Meeting of the National Board of Tourism took place on 14 February in Sofia. Nadia Soultanova, Head of Investment and Business Development at Sofia Investment Agency participated in the discussion ‘Bulgaria – Digital and Shared Economics’ and presented the main principles of the Digital Transformation Strategy for Sofia.
‘The opening of data will allow the development of many new products, and tourism is one of the sectors that can benefit a lot from new data-based solutions,’ commented Nadia Soultanova and added that the digitalization process should be based on suggestions and priorities assigned by the ecosystem itself.
‘We look at digitalization as a broad process that includes not only the digitalization of services but also the whole urban environment as a creator of markets and а driving force of economic development. The principles in the Strategy will also be carried in the activities of the newly formed Digitalization, Innovations, and Economic Development department of Sofia Municipality, that was established at the beginning of this year’.
The annual meeting was opened by the Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Nikolina Angelkova, and the Mayor of Sofia, Mrs. Yordanka Fandakova. Sofia Municipality is actively working on the development of a vision for Sofia. In accordance with the Strategy for Development of Sofia as a Tourist Destination 2017 – 2030, this year Sofia will start work on a new project for the creation of a product brand of the city, announced the Mayor of Sofia.
More news and data from the sector mentioned during the meeting:
- The number of tourists who visited Sofia in 2019 increased by 3.5% compared to 2018
- The investments in tourism and the related service sector make up 37% of the direct foreign investments in the city.
- The city is becoming more and more attractive for investors – three new luxury brand hotels are expected to open in Sofia.
- The restoration of the mineral bath in Bankya is expected to be finalised this year, and there are preparations for the restoration of the mineral baths in the regions of Ovcha Kupel and Gorna Banya. These measures are an opportunity for the city to use the potential of Sofia’s mineral waters for year-round balneology and SPA tourism.
- The reconstruction of the central part of the city where most of the objects related to cultural tourism are located will continue in 2020. This includes the
It’s now official: Sofia is in the top 3 in two categories and in the top 10 in three other categories in the European Cities and Regions of the Future 2020/2021 ranking by fDi Intelligence:
✔️ 3rd in the category European City of the Future 2020/21 – Foreign Direct Investment Strategy
✔️ 3rd in the category European City of the Future 2020/21 – Cost Effectiveness
✔️ 6th in the category Eastern European Regions of the Future 2020/21
✔️ 9th in the category Eastern European Regions of the Future 2020/21
✔️ Sofia Region is ranked 9th in the category Small European Regions of the Future 2020/21 – Cost Effectiveness
At a formal ceremony in Cannes in mid-March, Sofia will receive a certificate for the good positions in the ranking.
We believe that through our work on the business environment in the city and the image of Sofia before the world in the last three years, Sofia Municipality and the team of Sofia Investment Agency have contributed to the recognition of the capital once again! Sofia’s placement in the Top 3 along with London and Dublin for the strategy for attracting foreign investment is an extremely strong achievement for the city.
fDi Intelligence is a department of Financial Times, specializing in areas relating to investment and promotion of the investment climate globally. The ranking is conducted every two years on the basis of a macroeconomic analysis of nearly 500 cities and regions across Europe in a total of 5 categories – economic potential, working environment, cost efficiency, infrastructure and good conditions for business development. In the previous issue of the ranking, Sofia was in the top positions in four categories.
The full report European Cities and Regions of the Future 2020/2021 is available here.
After the success of the Digital Cities Challenge (DCC), the European Commission will launch the follow up project, the 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge, to involve more cities and bigger scope. Being a part of the existing DCC network of cities, Sofia was invited to apply for the successor initiative.
We are glad to spread the news that the call is open for other Bulgarian cities, as well as for cities and regions across Europe that may wish to profit from the initiative.
The project is expected to start in early 2020 and the expression of interest for new cities to join will be launched at the beginning of February 2020. All relevant details concerning the timeline, will be announced soon and will be published on https://www.digitallytransformyourregion.eu/
The 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge (100 ICC) will sustain, reinforce and expand the existing DCC network of 40+ cities. It will support EU cities to build ecosystems for smart, green, climate-neutral, sustainable growth, with a focus on green industrial transition and new business models. It will help implement at local level the new EU political guidelines, e.g. through local Green Deals, and lead tech uptake for better life. The ICC programme of coaching and facilitation will:
- – Reinforce the cities network through cutting edge advisory services and networking along with the thematic priorities identified above.
- – Align the city strategies with the new relevant EU policies and initiatives such as the European Green Deal, the new industrial strategy, strategic value chains, the AI strategy, the SMEs strategy, the circular economy, the Social Economy, etc.
- – Push ahead the implementation of action plans, joint investments and cross border collaboration among cities (together with industry, SMEs, academia and citizens), and help them benefit from the financial opportunities offered in the forthcoming MFF 2021-2027.
- – Foster new opportunities for citizens affected by the transition shift to smarter, cleaner and greener industry.
For more information about the participation of Sofia in the Digital Cities Challenge Programme and the benefits from the initiative, please follow the links provided on our webpage Digital Sofia: https://investsofia.com/en/digital-sofia/.
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free to contact us for details.
Mark-Aleks Evtimov
Mayor Yordanka Fandakova has appointed Sofia’s first ever Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development. The position is taken up by the current Chief Executive Officer of Sofia Investment Agency, Mr. Vladimir Danailov. He will lead the Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development Unit. With the opening of such a unit, Sofia joins the ranks of cities such as London, Barcelona, Vienna and Stockholm.
“More e-services, digitalization of the processes of managing and serving citizens and businesses, the use of innovative urban solutions, and working together with the IT sector – these are key priorities for me in the coming years,” said Yordanka Fandakova, commenting on the decision to create the new unit. “I am convinced that the digitalization of the urban environment, innovation and economic development are interlinked areas that give the city and our lives more order, more publicity, attract foreign investment and create quality jobs and a better quality of life,” the Mayor of Sofia added.
Deputy Mayor Vladimir Danailov commented on the new unit:
“The digitalization of Sofia is a broad process that covers not only the metropolitan municipality and its services, but also the entire urban environment. Sofia can be a platform for innovation and a market for digital products and services created by the strong IT companies in Sofia and the startup environment. Finally yet importantly, digitalization activities are a tool for a strong international image of the capital. Digitalization is the basis of smart cities. By 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in large cities and the increased pressure on cities must be alleviated by new innovative solutions.”
The new unit for digitalization, innovation and economic development start its work with several tasks:
✔️ to ensure a holistic approach rather than a piece-by-piece work and inconsistent standalone decisions
✔️ to turn the city into a platform for innovation
✔️ to reduce the administrative burden
✔️ to turn Sofia into a market for digital products and services created by Sofia-based companies
✔️ to avoid dependency on a particular provider
The Deputy Mayor has already submitted for discussion and adoption by the Sofia City Council the Digital Transformation Strategy for Sofia – a strategic document on which Vladimir Danailov and the team of the Sofia Investment Agency, on behalf of the metropolitan municipality, worked for 18 months and developed it within the framework of the Digital Cities Challenge project of the European
Sofia Municipality will be among the participants of the European Commission’s “870675 PolicyCLOUD – Policy management through technologies across the complete data lifecycle on cloud environments” project with the topic: “Pilot on using the European cloud infrastructure for public administrations” under the Horizon 2020 Programme.
The project implementation term is 36 months, during which Sofia will work in a network with 15 other partners from nine European countries. PolicyCLOUD is already underway and an inaugural meeting with all participants in the programme took place in Madrid on January 21.
The municipality of #Sofia will work with #Okys on the #PolicyCloud use case focusing on urban #environment improvement and monitoring through #crowdsourcing data analysis.
Discover the project https://t.co/KFlNIIylwa pic.twitter.com/RPbNAPGjrW— PolicyCloudEU (@PolicyCloudEU) January 22, 2020
The main objective of the PolicyCloud project is to create a cloud-based tool for effective modelling, testing and management of policies through data analysis and visualization. Various pilot projects have been included in the program activities, including in Sofia.
The implementation of the project activities will be supported by free access to the existing European cloud-based IT infrastructure for collection, comprehensive processing and analysis of data. Latest ICT tools will be used for big data, data mining and predictive analytics in urban management topics, such as: waste management and garbage collection; hygiene; road infrastructure; street lighting; traffic signalisation; parking; ecology, green systems; children’s playgrounds; disruption of public order and others.
By participating in the project, Sofia Municipality will be able to simulate, test and analyse potential policies using different categories and types of data. This will help the municipal administration to improve the management, implementation and transparency of local policies by using the latest technologies.
In addition to Sofia, the project consortium numbers 15 more partners, including Atos (Spain) – coordinator, IBM Research (Israel), London Borough of Camden (United Kingdom), Socieadad Aragonesa de Gestion Agroambiental (Spain), Instituto Technologico de Aragon (Spain), EGI (Netherlands), Singular Logic (Cyprus), Greek Research and Technology Network (Greece), Maggioli (Italy), LeanXcale (Spain), Ubitech (Cyprus) and others.
Interviews with the participants on how PolicyCloud adds value to local and European policymaking.
Latest news on data-based public policies, as well as up-to-date information on the implementation of the programme and the activities of the associated participants will be published on the project’s website: https://policycloud.eu
Bloomberg Philanthropies invited Sofia to participate in an international training project on digital transformation management in European cities. The initiative is aimed at leaders in urban governance and policies for digitalization of the urban environment and innovation. Our capital is already part of the program and is represented by Vladimir Danailov, Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation, Economic Development and Investment, and Elitsa Panayotova, Project Coordinator of Green Sofia.
“The network between 21 European capitals to meet the challenges of digital transformation will help to share knowledge and good practices, which will provide synergies and inevitably accelerate urban transformation. Sofia, being the 14th largest city in Europe, can make a significant contribution to this process,” Vladimir Danailov commented on Sofia’s participation in the program. “Digitalization is the basis of smart cities. By 2050, nearly 70% of the world’s population will live in large cities and the increased pressure on cities will need to be alleviated by new innovative solutions,” he further commented.
The inaugural meeting was held on January 10 in London. The opening event was attended by teams from all participating cities, including Amsterdam, Madrid, Ljubljana, Athens, Dublin, Vilnius, Riga, Brussels, Budapest, Prague, Stockholm and others.
The new Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Innovation Initiative is aimed at accelerating digital innovation. The goal of the program is to help European cities deliver high-impact digital services, and share lessons learned with cities around the rest of the world. City officials will have access to a specialized executive education program delivered by Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School faculty to strengthen the skills necessary for leading digital innovation in their cities.
The Initiative provides cities with the opportunity to participate in projects, apply for funding grants and for professional development programs for city management leaders.
You can find the official announcement here.
You can also follow the social media accounts of Sofia’s Deputy Mayor for Digitalization, Innovation, Economic Development and Investment Mr. Vladimir Danailov on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for news and highlights from digital Sofia.
The team of Sofia Investment Agency published its new report titled ‘Sofia: Economic and Investment Profile 2019’. The fourth edition of the annual report contains data and analysis of the leading industries, the target sectors for investments, the importance of infrastructure, local taxes and business conditions, information about Sofia’s performance in comparison to other popular business destinations in the region, as well as a forecast on how the economy of Sofia and the investments will develop in the future.
Key report highlights:
The contribution of Sofia Municipality to the national economy has been growing at a moderate but stable rate in recent years and Sofia remains the biggest regional economy in the country with about 40% of Bulgaria’s GDP.
The change in the value added by the different sectors in Sofia in the last 10 years is in line with the transformation of the Bulgarian economy and its orientation towards higher value-added sectors. While the share of construction sharply shrinks (compared to 2008), Manufacturing, Information Technology and Outsourcing are increasing their share and setting the pace of Sofia’s development.
The manufacturing industry has increased its weight in the local economy after a series of investments in the areas of Pharmaceuticals, Automotive, Cosmetics, Optics, among others. By 2018, the Manufacturing industry had a share of 9.9%, showing an increase of almost 2% compared to its share before the crisis.
The same increase can be observed in the gross added value of the Administrative and Supporting Activities sector, which includes part of the outsourcing industry (the so-called service call centres).
The other part of the outsourcing industry is included in the Professional Activities and Research sector. These two broad sectors of outsourcing, along with the IT industry (part of the Creation and Distribution of Information and Communication sector), found favourable growth conditions in Sofia in the last few years due to the combination of educated workforce, knowledge of foreign languages and low labour costs.
Sofia’s economy is also characterized by significantly higher investment activity than the national average. Latest data shows that about 40% of the cost of tangible fixed assets and half of foreign direct investments were concentrated in the Sofia region. By the end of 2018, the Capital had attracted €13 billion of foreign investments or about € 9 800 per capita, which is nearly three times the average for the country
Most investments in Sofia are directed