The Municipality of Central Corfu and the Diapontia Islands participated for the first time in the 9th Smart Cities Conference 2021. The main topic of the conference, which took place online, was the smart practical and technological solutions that change the daily lives of the citizens and their accessibility to services.

Among the renowned Greek and international speakers, personalities of the local government and specialized scientists also participated such as the deputy mayor of European Programs, Development and Digital Governance Mrs. Panagiota Tzanne, who presented the ways in which are realized the vision and the goals of the Municipality of Central Corfu and the Diapontia Islands for smart, urban development and a substantial improvement of the quality of life of the citizens.

The deputy mayor shared with the participants the initiatives and the achievements of the municipal authority to date, in the context of the transformation of the municipality under the following axes :

  • The waste management and the transition to recycling and circular economy

  • The smart and green mobility

  • The smart and green energy

  • The e-government and the digitization of the public services

Indicatively were presented :

  • The participation of the municipality in the 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge

  • The online service and direct communication with the citizens through the Novoville platform

  • The provision of free wireless internet access points (Wi-Fi hotspots) in public places

  • The creation of municipal points for the separate collection of light bulbs as well as electronic and electric appliances

  • The prevention of drug waste

  • The supply of special equipment for the separate collection of biowaste

  • The approval of the installation of smart stop shelters for the service of passengers

  • The financing of the Electric Vehicle Charging Plan

The next planned steps for the further improvement of the quality of life in the municipality include: a) the separate collection for all categories of waste, b) the development of a network of smart sensors in order to improve the management of waste and in general the quality of the urban environment, c) the development of “smart city” solutions in order to inform the residents and the visitors about the available smart and sustainable urban mobility options, d) the promotion of the thematic tourism through applications (web, mobile) with the aim of promoting culture, local businesses, and local products.

The deputy mayor for European Programs, Development and Digital Governance, Panagiota Tzanne, stated: “I gladly accepted the invitation to represent for the first time our municipality at the Smart Cities Conference as it was a unique opportunity to share with the participants the ways in which we can make the vision of a smart and sustainable city a reality but also get informed about good practices. Smart digital solutions have the potential to substantially improve the quality of life in our municipality during the difficult period of the pandemic we are going through but also after the pandemic. The steps we have already taken are only the beginning. We will continue to do everything that’s possible in order to achieve our goal and transform the Municipality of Central Corfu and the Diapontia Islands into a truly smart, green, and sustainable municipality by the standards of the developed European cities.”