Barcelona: Messi in the field of smart technology

Barcelona – this is a great simplification of the Gaudí, Mercury, and Messi. The famous architect dedicated himself to the city’s incredible modernist projects – Sagrada Familia, Casa Battló and Park Güell. Freddie Mercury (together with Montserrat Cabellé) has cast the city in a legendary aria, which became the 1992 Olympic Games anthem, and the world’s radio is still playing it again. And Lionel Messi gave the city a football joy that has won many titles from the Champions League or the Spanish League. Moreover – and the proud Catalans can appreciate it – is the product of the renowned La Masia Academy. For thirteen years it has been busy making him become who he is today. The best footballer on the planet, loyal to his FCB red-blue colour throughout his career. More Catalan than Argentine.

And so it is with Barcelona. The city realizes that it is supposed to be proud – and it likes to show it. This is why there is a rage of autonomy in Catalonia. Through the streets of the city, striped red and yellow flags show that the rich area in the northeast of the country no longer wishes to be subject to the Madrid decree. “We have culture, economy, tourism,” says the rich Mediterranean region.

Economically it does not have to worry. Even today, the small region can generate more gross domestic product than most euro area countries. The city goes into technology and is rightfully called the “technological hub” of the whole of Spain. But above all, they are not afraid of putting the technology into practice immediately and letting it work for the benefit of the city’s inhabitants. In recent years, Barcelona has launched more than a hundred “smart projects”. Those of us in the Czech Republic tend to talk about it at conferences rather than getting it into the streets and people.

So perhaps the results of Barcelona could one day lead. For example, the city has introduced sensors that monitor urban transport and automatically control it according to traffic density or current traffic situation. They managed to reduce traffic by 21% and reduce traffic accidents. Barcelona also installed a “smart street lamp”. LED lighting is only turned on when it is detected near movement and saves more than 30% of energy. But not only that! The columns are equipped with sensors that constantly collect current environmental data. They evaluate rain and moisture and affect the amount of water to be used for watering in nearby parks.

The city also uses sensors to evaluate the amount of waste in the bins and optimize cleaning. “Garbage trucks” do not go unnecessarily, but they have an exact list of places that need maintenance right now. Bus stops are often equipped with a Wi-Fi router and charger on a USB device – in addition, they provide information on the actual arrival of the connection. The intelligent parking system guides cars directly to free spaces.

Internet of things there simply is music now, not the future. As mentioned by Francesco Bria, Head of Technology and Digitization: “We want to change the whole perception of the technological revolution. Not primarily about it but about what it bring and can bring to people. Because that’s what makes us all interested.”

In the coming years, the city will build something like a common “open-source” data infrastructure that should be at the heart of the city’s new strategic and technological plan. The goal is to create a network of open source sensors and common standards. All connected to a city-driven computer platform. It is solving how to protect the data of its inhabitants on the one hand, but at the same time it is anonymously mediated for further research and other innovations.

Barcelona just wants to be yours. Develop your own “tiki-taka” – a system of short swings between perfectly aligned technologies. Being Messi in the field of intelligent innovation. And because it will it have even more trump cards in the hands to negotiate it own autonomy. Putting your ability to act into action.

In this one, it just has to hold her hands.