• The electronic government and open innovation platforms provided by the multinational will speed up access to public services and foster innovative ideas to benefit the city
  • This is a pioneering initiative in Colombia and comes as part of the Colombian government's online strategy for public sector bodies and agencies, seeking to drive prosperity in the country via ICTs
  • Indra has established itself as a world leading developer of technology for cities of the future, with major systems already operational in Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina and Peru

The Colombian city of Tunja has commissioned Indra to develop an advanced e-Government platform, which will ensure online access to public services, drive efficiency and transparency and provide citizens with new channels to submit ideas and suggestions to improve the city.

The initiative is based on the "TUNJA City of Knowledge" program, a key component of the 2012-2015 "Hechos de Verdad" municipal development initiative. The program has the backing of the national government, with a Strategic Urban Development Agreement signed between the National Planning Department and the Tunja City Hall, aiming to boost the economic, social and cultural development of Tunja, based on joint interaction and oversight from local and national economic, social and cultural players.

The project includes modernizing the Tunja Municipal Government via the deployment of Amara, Indra's e-Government solution, thus providing citizens with online access to their files, tools to complete formalities remotely and the ability to view the status of the same, send information and receive notifications. All of the above in electronic format with full security and data confidentiality guarantees.

The initial services will include a complaints and claims service, account settlement, business incorporation procedures and earthwork and construction permit services. Procedures linked to the home sales and urban planning certificates will also be supported.

Transparency and open innovation

The Tunja Municipal Government is also set incorporate iParticipa into its website. This Indra open innovation solution supports citizen participation to improve transparent relations with the public. The platform will provide the city's inhabitants with a new means of participating in city governance by submitting ideas and suggestions to help municipal governors make the city better.

The system is based on active and two-way communications, marking a departure from previous participation models that use crowded forums or unattended suggestions and complaints mailboxes. iParticipa also helps to channel innovative smart cities projects, by giving the public a means of expressing their hopes and expectations, ideas and solutions with regard to future challenges, such as the construction of new services and solutions.

This initiative, the first on such a large scale in Colombia, is part of an online strategy pursued by the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications, which seeks to build a more efficient, transparent and participative public sector, and in turn to provide better services, all supported by society at large thanks to the harnessing of such technology. The project seeks to drive the e-government concept, with all Colombian public sector bodies and organizations providing remote services to citizens.

The consulting and technology multinational has thus strengthened its position as a leading developer of technology for the cities of the future. It already has major systems deployed in Latin America, including smart urban traffic and transport management platforms in Medellin (Colombia) and Curitiba (Brazil), and a strategic plan for the deployment of Smart Grids in Peru. Other significant projects include the CUCC (Single Emergency Coordination and Control Center) in Buenos Aires, which covers all of the city's emergency and security programs, as well as deployment of an open innovation solution for the Judicial Council of Ecuador (www.todossomosjusticia.gob.ec), allowing the public to submit suggestions to improve the judicial system.

A comprehensive and integrated smart city solution

Indra has developed smart city projects for the full range of urban requirements. It is also one of the few companies anywhere in the world that can provide a comprehensive smart city solution, from strategic and technological planning to data management and integration. As a leading company in urban technology solutions, Indra has accumulated vast experience in the application of smart systems for mobility and transport, security, communications and location platforms, ID systems and electronic governance, among many other areas. The multinational has run successful projects all over the world, deploying smart systems for the full gamut of municipal services.

Indra, chaired by Javier Monzón,  is one of the world's largest consultancy and technology multinationals, a leader in Europe and Latin America and is expanding in other emerging economies. Innovation is the cornerstone of its business, which is highly focussed on the customer and on sustainability. The multinational is one of the leaders in its sector in Europe in terms of investment in R&D and innovation, having invested more than €570M in the last three years. With sales approaching €3,000 million, it employs 42,000 professional and has customers in 138 countries.

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