Service: REACHOUT: Smart Cities: from smart waste to smart tourism

As cities aim to start using big data and automated processes to become “smart”, a series of ADM systems have been embedded at the municipal level in Spain. These systems usually support decision-making rather than working entirely autonomously. One such example is the Smart Waste platform, which collects data from sensors installed in bins and trucks, and also from social media, surveys, the census, and satellite information. The combined data helps local authorities decide what services will be needed when and where. Smart Waste was developed by The Circular Lab (from the innovation center of Ecoembes) which is a non-profit organization charged with collecting plastic packaging, cans, cartons, paper, and cardboard packaging for recycling. Minsait, a division of Indra, a Spanish multinational transport, defense, and security technology consultancy company also helped develop the platform. During 2018, the Logroño municipality and the La Rioja and Cantabria regional governments first ran the platform as a pilot and today it is available to local and regional authorities all over Spain. As is the norm in almost every case in Spain, there does not seem to be any available information on how the software works, what kind of output it produces, and what decisions or changes the different authorities have adopted due to its use.