In 2016, Istanbul improved its standing in the World Global Cities index, rising from 29th to 25th place. By improving the city's services and implementing integrated smart city management, the IMM and İSBAK AŞ aim to build on their momentum and accelerate their efforts to reach the top 5 of the rankings.
Charlotta Sund, Senior Vice President and Head of Customer Group Industry and Society at Ericsson said: "IMM and İSBAK intend to achieve a fast, integrated, people-oriented transformation based on technology and innovation. Ericsson will work on key development areas in metropolitan Istanbul, as well as a number of identified targets related to urbanization, population growth and resource utilization. Assessments conducted together with IMM and İSBAK will guide our work as we aim to maximize this unique city's opportunities."
The IMM is guiding the project by reviewing global best practices; conducting literature searches and current situation analyses; and holding interviews and workshops with hundreds of chief information officers, public- and private-sector entities, universities, citizens, and stakeholders. The data obtained in these studies reveal the city's current scorecard and provide a benchmark from which to work toward achieving Istanbul's smart city vision.