17 December 2020
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Cork has two local authorities: Cork City Council and Cork County Council.
Covid-19 has required people and organisations across the world to embrace digital faster than ever. Cork City Council have had a ‘Digital Media Officer’ since December 2019, now the Local Authority has unveiled an ambitious 62-page ‘Digital Strategy’
An online citizen services portal, smart energy home testbed and extension of Cork city’s free public Wi-Fi offering are all actions contained in Cork city’s first digital strategy. Published today, 17th December 2020, Cork city’s digital strategy aspires to support citizens and businesses to realise the benefits of digitalisation.
Co-created with city stakeholders, this collaborative strategy aims to make Cork the connected city – innovative, inclusive, and inspiring. This vision will be delivered through a roadmap of digital actions across 7 dimensions which take a holistic approach in developing a more digitally enabled city. The dimensions include Citizen Participation, Support Services, Digital Skills, Open Data, Climate Action, Infrastructure, Governance and Leadership.
Speaking about the digital strategy, Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr. Joe Kavanagh said,
‘I am very pleased to see the publication of this strategy today. The emergence of Covid-19 has required people and organisations across the world to embrace digital faster than ever. In Cork, we have seen how our businesses, citizens and communities have adapted quickly and embraced digital solutions to work and connect with their city and each other. The actions that are included in this strategy will help our citizens and communities to engage with our new digital society’.
Cork City Council Chief Executive, Ann Doherty, highlighted,
‘Consultation and collaboration with city stakeholders in developing and delivering Cork city’s digital strategy will help Cork to further realise its potential as a city of innovation’.
Speaking about the role of digital transformation across the City Council, she added,
‘Digital permeates all sections of Cork City Council. We are committed to the continued delivery of innovative public services that support all our citizens. This strategy has been developed as a living document which will be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis, ensuring flexibility to respond to new opportunities that emerge over its lifetime’.
Cork City Council Digital Officer, Claire Davis, concluded,
‘Digital technology is changing how we work, live and engage with each other. It is also changing our expectations. Accessing services online, obtaining timely information on things that matter to us and having the infrastructure to enable these interactions are a minimum expectation in the digital age. The actions in the digital strategy will help us to not only meet these expectations but go beyond them helping to enhance Cork’s credentials as a Smart City’.
The digital strategy can be accessed on the Cork City Council website: https://www.corkcity.ie/en/doing-business-in-cork/smart-cork/digital-strategy/