European Union Support for the Development of Smart Cities

Abstract:

One of the objectives of Europe’s digital transformation is to improve the quality of life of inhabitants of European cities by making them smarter. This is possible thanks to the fast technological development of the electronic communications sector as well as the take-up of  very  high  capacity  networks,  including  fixed (e.g. fibre-optic),  mobile  and  wireless networks (e.g. 5G). All this, however, requires huge investment in telecom infrastructure and information and communications technologies. The article discusses the EU funding opportunities for smart cities for 2021–2027. The aim of the paper is to assess the impact of EU funding on smart city development.