BC Digital-Cities Publikacija Web
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
August 2018 DIGITAL CITIES Connecting Cities of the United Kingdom and Western Balkans through Digital Technology British Council Project Team: Larisa Halilović, Alma Hasić, Hana Jusić, Amila Lagumdžija, Eldina Kulin, Sanja Lulo Culture Code Project Team: Relja Bobić, Marko Radenković, Nana Radenković Creative England Project Team: Adam Killey, Gail Caig, Tim Evans, Kathy McArdle, Nikki Locke Nova Iskra Project Team: Kristijan Šujević, Andrija Kovač, Vladimir Miladinović, Nemanja Babić, Maria Adamović, Tijana Stevanović, Sanja Čolaković Publisher: Pages 38, 39, 109 © NetworksINT Video: The British Council Andrija Kovač Pages 40, 41 © Spark Vladimir Miladinović Editor at Large: Pages 42, 43, 115 © Cacttus Nemanja Babić Steve Effron Pages 44, 45 © Jakova Innovation Print: Executive Editor: Center Alta Nova, Relja Bobić Belgrade, Serbia Pages 46, 47 © Open Data Kosovo Proofreading: Pages 48, 49, 116, 117 © InPlayer Paper: Alex Papke Remake Midnight 250g Pages 50, 51 © BSC Bar Pergraphica Natural Rough Design and Layout: 120g Pages 52, 53 © Digitalizuj.me Milica Pantelić Pages 54, 55 © Deli - Space for Fonts: Photograph Credits: creative activity The British Council Sans Pages 4, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17, 19, 20, Pages 56, 57 © SEE ICT/Startit 21, 28, 29, 60, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, WWW.BRITISHCOUNCIL.ORG 67, 81, 82, 83, 86 87,90,91, 96, 97, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, Pages 58, 59 © Coprix media 114, 118, 119, 129, 131 © Nemanja Pages 71, 72, 73 © Theo Wood; Knežević; courtesy British Council courtesy British Council Pages 75, 76, 77, 79, 89, 92, 93, 127 © Alex Mead; courtesy British Pages 32, 33 © EasyPay Council Pages 34, 35 © Protik Innovation Connecting Cities of Center Pages 36, 37 © GotSolution the United Kingdom and Western Balkans through Digital Technology CONTENTS 06 - Introduction by Larisa Halilović (The British Council) 08 - Introduction by Marko Radenković (Culture Code) 10 - Introduction by John Newbigin (Creative England) 12 - About the Project 16 - Open call: Digital Cities 20 - Digital Cities Participant List 28 - Profiles of Full Project Beneficiaries 32 - EasyPay 34 - Protik Innovation Center 36 - GotSolution 38 - Networks INT 40 - SPARK 42 - Cacttus 44 - Jakova Innovation Center 46 - Open Data Kosovo 48 - InPlayer Hub 50 - BSC Bar 52 - Digitalizuj.me 54 - Deli 56 - SEE ICT / Startit 58 - Coprix Media 60 - Events and Key Activities 62 - Digital Cities Kickoff 70 - Digital Policy Symposium 74 - Business and Hub Engagement Programme 80 - Digital Cities Bootcamp 88 - Digital Cities Final Conference 96 - Mobility and Collaboration Grants 104 - Realised Collaboration Projects 107 - Digitalising Citizens Payment Services 109 - Digital Build Up 110 - Coworking Cities 111 - HyperReality Hackathon 114 - Smart Incubator 115 - Play, learn and earn 116 - Music Content Monetisation 120 - Western Balkans Digital Cities Map 126 - About The British Council 128 - About Culture Code 4 130 - About Creative England 5 LARISA HALILOVIĆ British Council Digital Cities Project Director When we started thinking of the Digital Cities them as relevant players and contributors to pilot project, we couldn’t even dream of how the global market. Working through networks many industry professionals and leaders in of networks makes it possible for meaningful the Western Balkans and the UK were ready joint interventions that create value and en- to join us. The digital agenda has recently sure quality, scale and relevance globally. come up as one of the highest priorities in the Western Balkans and it is the perfect moment Connecting digital hubs, businesses, profes- to identify key opportunities for the devel- sionals and leaders in the UK and Western opment, growth and economic contribution Balkans has revealed some very interesting of the digital industry. The creative economy findings. As John Newbigin of Creative En- in the UK in 2016, according to NESTA, grew gland pointed out at the project start: Talent twice as fast as any other sector, with the is everywhere, but the opportunities are not. digital industry paving the way forward. In the Talent, skills and potential of digital industry Western Balkans the data currently does not professionals in the Western Balkans and the exist to show whether and to what extent this UK is impressive on both sides and oppor- might be the case, but there is definitely a tunities for collaboration and exchange with buzz pointing in that very same direction. appropriate support and facilitation are strong and many. The key difference, however, is ac- Working with and connecting 41 cities of the cess to public-private partnerships and stra- UK and Western Balkans yielded some import- tegic investment in the start-up industry. This ant realisations. For cities to grow effectively, requires an entire break from specialised silos develop economically and offer relevant and calls for collaboration across sectors, services to their citizens, digital solutions industries, cities and borders in the Western are inevitable. However, before jumping to Balkans. The pilot revealed and confirmed that individual isolated solutions and responses, a city administrations, educational institutions growing city needs to have a digital policy and and research bodies and businesses need to strategy in place to set the vision and direc- work together to drive this change and foster tion of its digital growth. Cities in the Western genuine growth and development. Only that Balkans are currently at the starting point of way is there space for innovation, relevance of introducing such policies and strategies and skills and sustainability of product and service there is a strong need and commitment to do offer in the changing world. so. The UK, on the other hand, has been ad- dressing this area of development for the past To have an impressive network of 226 20 years and there are some valuable lessons professionals in 41 cities and seven coun- to be learned from this experience. It is truly tries after such a short time is a powerful exciting to be linking the cities of the UK thought. It paints an inspiring picture of what with their Western Balkans counterparts and could be, where we are and what we need supporting the first steps towards developing to do to get there, when it comes to skills, digital policies and strategies in the region. collaboration and policies within the digital industry in the Western Balkans and UK. This said, it is also strikingly important to Creating opportunities and space to help continue working on connecting cities within make it happen is a fantastic role to have in the Western Balkans and within the UK into this process! interest-led networks in order to position 6 7 JOHN NEWBIGIN Creative England Chairman Creative England was pleased to be one of strated a practical way of doing so. the partners in this programme to promote What was unanticipated was that the pro- collaboration and learning between city gramme also promoted greater intra-re- administrations and digital entrepreneurs gional collaboration within the Western in the UK and the Western Balkans. It built Balkans, with the mayors of several of the naturally on the partnership working model participating cities meeting each other for we have developed within England, work- the first time and agreeing to collaborate ing with city administrations to nurture on future strategies. their digital and creative sectors and, in turn, encouraging them to use the skills of The programme also provided ample evi- the sector to innovate and improve public dence that the resources, experience and service delivery. The Creative England ap- expertise of the UK can be very relevant to proach attracts a great deal of internation- other countries as they seek to grow their al interest and this programme provided digital and creative sectors. This project further proof that the challenges we seek provided a range of practical opportunities to address in the UK context are replicated for UK organisations, as well as businesses. elsewhere, and are often best dealt with This is summed up in a comment made by at city level rather than at the level of the managing director of the UK partner national government. of one of the programme’s grant-aided collaborations, “I think the idea of the UK It is encouraging that the enthusiasm of supporting companies like Cacttus [a Koso- business participants from the Western van software business] to solve difficult Balkans (many more wanted to join the pro- and challenging problems in their home gramme than had initially been expected) territories, but with paid input from UK- was matched by the response from the UK, based businesses is a brilliant one…” Our suggesting that there are sound commer- experience endorses that assessment. cial reasons for finding ways to continue the kind of exchange and partnership Finally, our partnership with the that the programme made possible. For British Council and Nova Iskra has been micro and SME businesses in the digital stimulating, positive and productive. and creative sectors of small nations, such The response to the evaluation forms we as those of the Western Balkans, the need asked participants to complete suggests to extend networks, to find partners and we are not alone in considering the pro- markets that stimulate broader internation- gramme to have been an overall success. al ambition is essential to long-term growth and sustainability. This programme demon- 8 9 MARKO RADENKOVIĆ Culture Code President of Executive Board As a representative of Culture Code, an isations from the UK, as well as with the organisation that initiated the first creative representatives of the city administrations hub in the Balkans under the name of Nova from the Western Balkans. Iskra, it was of great significance for us to be part of the project Digital Cities - Con- Although the project lasted only three necting Cities of the United Kingdom and months, we believe that many important Western Balkans through Digital Industry. goals were reached, such as connecting, sharing experiences, expanding knowledge This project gave us a fantastic insight and increasing professional capacities of into what is going on in the Western Balkans the project participants.