By José Ángel de la Paz

Smart cities are not those with more technology, but those that use it as a tool for driving sustainable development and for improving the quality of life of its inhabitants.

These were the assertions of the public-sector participants who had been invited to participate in the panel "The next smart cities in Nuevo León", organized by the Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIEC) of EGADE Business School and Singularity University, Monterrey Chapter.

The event was  moderated by Dr. Félix Cárdenas, CIEC director, and enjoyed contributions by Miguel Treviño and Héctor Castillo, mayors of San Pedro Garza García and Santa Catarina, respectively, as well as Deputy Juan Carlos Ruiz, president of the Nuevo León State Congress.

The mayors talked about the programs they are implementing to reach efficient solutions to the problems in their respective cities and reflected on the scope of smart cities.

A smart city, Treviño stated, makes its own data- and evidence-based decisions to capitalize the talent of its citizens, is preventive rather than reactive, measuring and enhancing performance.

"We commonly think of technology in terms of gadgets, but what’s most important is making the best use of the data we have. How to serve citizens better is more important than gadgets," said the San Pedro mayor.

Castillo considered that transparency and civic participation are fundamental for smart cities.

"The cities of tomorrow should be built with vision; smart cities facilitate addressing and responding to the needs of citizens," said the mayor of Santa Catarina.

Ruiz warned that even though technology has progressed, legislators are yet to reach agreements regarding mobility, thereby affecting the development of smart cities.

Other participants in the event included Jenaro Martínez, director of Innovation and Strategic Alliances at Alestra, who explained the company’s initiatives to foment the creation of smart cities.

With information from El Norte and El Horizonte.