Around 150 researchers and entrepreneurs in Cantabria analysed the possibilities of real business which the SmartSantander project offered during a seminar organized by the Sodercan Group and the University of Cantabria (UC). The Minister of Industry and Technological Development in Cantabria Government, Juan José Sota, took advantage of his participation in the event to appeal to companies in the region to take advantage of the opportunities this pioneering initiative is going to generate and which will transform the Cantabrian capital into a smart city, through installation of 20,000 sensors and other devices. The seminar took place in the Scientific and Technological Park in Cantabria (PCTCAN).
The Minister pointed out that it is a “strategic” project in the autonomic Executive Council, which provides more than half a million Euros which are non-recoverable. According to Sota, the technologies which are going to be implemented “will attract more researchers and companies, which in turn will increase opportunities for investment and technological, commercial and entrepreneurial development”.
“This is the moment to claim collaboration once again from all institutions, real collaboration, because this project finally has to benefit citizens”, he added. Sota also pointed out that in the Department of Industry, they confide in the fact that SmartSantander “will grow and will give us international visibility, allowing us to attract talent and new projects”.
The Rector of the University, Federico Gutiérrez-Solana, took part in the seminar and asked for collaboration between all those involved, especially in the area of Cantabria International Campus as a “project of the region”. Likewise, he referred to the future ICT Institute, which will be located in PCTCAN, thanks to Government-University collaboration.
Salvador Blanco, Delegate Adviser in the Sodercan Group, recalled a few years ago in Cantabria when “nobody spoke of R+D+i” and explained the current global innovation strategy, centred on promoting sectors such as marine renewable energies, biotechnology and ICTs. During his participation, Francisco Royano, General Director of Corporative Strategy in Sodercan, announced the future announcement of a programme of grants for projects related to Smart Cities, which will have a global budget of 2 million Euros.