Unicaja Banco and Smart City Cluster, an alliance of over 150 companies and institutions that work for the development of smart cities and which collaborates with nearly 50 cities in Spain, have entered into an agreement to boost technology, innovation and sustainable finances initiatives, within the framework of the promotion of smart cities. Smart cities are those based on sustainable urban planning and on the application of technology and innovation to their management and services, so as to make cities more efficient, sustainable and comfortable for those who inhabit them.
The agreement sets a framework for the collaboration between both institutions with the goal of seeking opportunities to channel sustainable funding or investment projects. In this regard, it is worth to mention Unicaja Banco’s commitment to sustainability, under its Action Plan on Sustainable Finances, which allows the incorporation of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into the bank’s business strategy.
The signing of this agreement with Smart City Cluster also responds to the bank’s interest in contributing to the development of actions to favour the growth of the business fabric, facilitate the economic boost and support innovation, research and training, as well as sustainability and promotion of projects related to smart cities. The agreement provides a starting point for the future materialization of projects related to smart cities.
This initiative, which falls within the actions that Unicaja Banco has been developing for years through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), renews as well the bank’s commitment to social and environmental sustainability.
The goals of the agreement entered into include the definition of policies and measures of common interest on smart cities, strategic planning of future developments for cities and the promotion of research, development and innovation (R+D+i) of products, processes and services related to smart urban infrastructures.
With regard to training and knowledge, the agreement includes the goals of enhancing the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge between the cluster, universities, technology centres and Unicaja Banco; promoting training activities on smart urban infrastructures (courses, technical workshops, seminars and lectures); organizing events for the promotion of smart cities and urban technologies; and collaborating in the actions on environmental policies, low-carbon economy, energy efficiency, sustainability, sustainable finances and promotion of the information society.
About Smart City Cluster
Based in Malaga TechPark (Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía), the Smart City Cluster is an alliance of over 150 companies and institutions at a national level, which collaborate with nearly 50 Spanish cities and that work for the development of smart cities, understood to be efficient, sustainable and comfortable, through cooperation between its partners, which include private companies, universities, technology parks and sectorial organizations, as well as research, development and innovation institutions.
The projects covered by Smart City Cluster seek to generate employment and wealth in the cities by improving business competitiveness, promoting business opportunities and creating new markets, products and services.
The Smart City Cluster works in the development of projects which result in an improvement in the habitability, comfort and quality of life of citizens from any urban area, regardless of its size, through R+D+i projects, with the goal of building better cities, with a higher environmental sustainability and a more efficient resource management.
