Riga is not only a city, but also a vibrant centre of innovation, connectivity and growth for dynamic business and investment. The Latvian capital has made a loud statement in the field of digital development and Riga has all the potential to play in the top league of smart cities, said Linda Ozola, Deputy Mayor of Riga, at the Smart Country Convention 2024, one of the largest public digitisation events in Europe, which took place on October 16 at the Berlin Exhibition Centre.
Latvia has been selected as an official partner country at the Smart Country Convention 2024 to share its experience in implementing digital solutions in public administration, municipalities and state enterprises. More than 100 representatives from Latvian companies, science, local and national authorities will attend the exhibition, which will bring together more than 15,000 participants from different countries. The exhibition will focus on digitisation, technology, digital infrastructure, cyber security and data protection.
"Riga shone brightly in Berlin this week. I just had the opportunity to present Riga's smart city concept and highly digitised municipal services environment at one of the leading smart city formats #SCCON24. Sometimes we do not even seem to realise how far we have come – what is normal for us is still a long way off for other European municipalities. The main difference is that in many countries the private sector is highly digitised, but these solutions are not actually used in public and local government. In Riga it is different and these days were a great opportunity for our entrepreneurs to present their experience and possibly find new clients in larger or smaller German municipalities," says Ms Ozola.
"Riga has all the potential to play in the top league of smart cities and capitalise on this experience. That's why we need to continue to make our presence felt internationally. I think that the specialists of the Riga City Council are able to do this at a very good level. Thank you to the Embassy of Latvia for organising this historic event and to the professionals and business people of the Riga City Council for representing our capital city in a truly worthy manner," said the Deputy Mayor of Riga.
Today, Riga is the fifth largest city in Northern Europe and one of the fastest growing business locations in the region. With a metropolitan area of 1.1 million people, Riga competes with cities such as Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki and Copenhagen. With a strong and diverse population, Riga ranks alongside other prominent cities in the region. Riga's Sustainable Development Strategy aims to transform the city into a thriving, innovative and inclusive metropolis.
According to IDAL, Latvia and the Baltic States in general have established themselves as leaders in digitisation and data security. In Latvia, 84% of internet users use government e-services and digital identification. More than 91% of public sector services are available online. Latvia is the only EU Member State where the administrative process in the construction sector is fully digitised.
Information was prepared by: Mārtiņš Vilemsons, Project Coordinator at External Communication Division of Riga City Council, email: martins.vilemsons@riga.lv