Success of the Master Class "The Smart strategy in Catalonia"

"Information enables us to take better decisions." This is the conclusion of the Master Class held on January 15th at La Salle Campus Barcelona-URL   on Smart strategy in Catalonia. The event was carried out by   Jordi Puigneró, General Director of Telecommunications and Information Society of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Government) , and Josep Ramon Ferrer, Director of Smart Cities of the City Hall of Barcelona . Puigneró explained the Smart Strategy in Catalonia (smartcat), which aims to convert Catalonia into a Smart Region and an international reference in this field. Puigneró stressed that "making Smart Cities may save resources because information helps you make better decisions," explaining that being a Smart Region also generates enterprise-level resources. The General Director of Telecommunications explained how society is changing and the need for ICT to become a fundamental tool in allowing Catalunya to be an economy of the XXI century". This requires an environment that fosters the development of Smart projects and initiatives. Josep Ramon Ferrer, director of Smart Cities of Barcelona’s City Hall, explained how will the Barcelona 5.0 will be: the type of city Barcelona has to be in 20 years, with an improvement of citizen’s welfare and quality of life, to make life easier and enable economic progress, that will help companies to do business. Barcelona’s smart strategy is aimed at a more desirable city model, more sustainable and efficient. According to Ferrer, the ultimate goal is "to turn the city into a self-sustaining productive area of human speed, inside an hiperconnected metropolis and of zero emissions."