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"Great stories are written with values in the hearts of men"
Explore our values...
Photo by Luís Pinto, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2011.

Respect. (from the lat. respectu) n. 1. respect; 2. consideration; high regard; 3. deference; compliance; veneration; 4. honour; worship; 5. relation; refererence...

We believe that everyone should be respected for their work, for their attitudes, opinions and options.

Photo by Mila Teshaieva, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2011.

Rigor. (from the lat. rigore) n. 1. harshness; strength; 2.fig., severity; punctuality; accuracy.

There is no "more or less levelled", "more or less upright”, "more or less clean" or "more or less safe", but rather “levelled”, "upright”, "clean” and “safe". The rigour is reflected in our procedures, in time and in the rules to follow. In the light of moral and principles, being severe means being rigorous.

Photo by , finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2012.

Passion. (from the lat. passione) n. 1. intense and usually violent feeling (affection, joy, hate, etc.) which hinders the exercise of impartial logic; 2. derived from a feeling; 3. great predilection; 4. partiality; 5. great grief; immense suffering...

Under the sign of passion – a text of the Portuguese poet Regina Guimarães – is our icon. Passion is to reveal great enthusiasm for something, favourable encouragement or opposite to something.
It is the sensibility transmitted by an architect or engineer through work.
Passion is the dedication to a project. Passion is a state of warm soul.

Photo by Jakub Karwowski, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2012.

Loyalty. (from the lat. legalitate) n. the quality of being loyal; fidelity; sincerity.

Respect for the principles and rules that guide the honour and probity. Faithfulness to commitments and agreements undertaken, staunch character.
To remain loyal to the business partners because we depend on them and they depend on us.
Being trustworthy for being loyal.

Photo by Ian Lieske, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2011.

Solidarity. (from the lat. solidare) n. 1. the quality of being solidary; 2. reciprocal responsibility among the members of a group, namely social, professional, etc.; 3. sense of sharing another’s suffering.

Being solidary is being a friend, offering our hand with genuine generosity and bringing joy and human warmth to those who, somehow, are marginalized. Being solidary is being more human. A solidary company is recognized as a fair and non-selfish company. A solidary company is a preferred choice in business. It is a more competitive company. Volunteering is a vehicle to solidarity. It is modern, fair, cultured, friend, it is a noble gesture of moral elevation.

Photo by Clarence Gorton, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2012.

Courage. (from the lat. coraticum) n. 1. bravery facing danger; intrepidity; to have audacity; 2. moral force before a suffering or setback; 3. [fig.] to input energy when performing a difficult task; perseverance...

Courage is essential in our life. Courage to face less pleasant situations when complex issues come up, not expecting random resolutions.
It is a value that we must highlight as opposed to the fearful, cowardly and laziness.
The courage to react to criticism not with an attitude of demotivation or sadness, but rather to search for the means and the action to overcome its own reason. This kind of courage, which is also an intellectual courage, is highly recommended.

Photo by Filipa Alves, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2011.

Ambition. (from the lat. ambitione) n. 1. vehement desire of wealth, honours or glories; 2. expectation about the future; aspiration; 3. lust; greed…

Vehement desire to achieve a particular goal. Ambition not to resign ourselves. Ambition to take the best potential from ourselves. Ambition to deserve ourselves. Ambition to be athletes in our top-level competitive jobs. Ambition to beat our brands. Ambition to get the best deals with the maximum value, due to the high levels of proficiency and efficiency.

Photo by Scarlett Coten, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2011.

Esthetics. ESTHETICS (from the Greek aisthetiké, "sensitive") n.f. 1. Philosophy branch of philosophy that studies the beauty and nature of artistic phenomena; 2. author's own style, time, etc.; 3. harmony of shapes and colors, beauty; 4. set of techniques and treatments that aim to beautify the body.

We decided to build the company's economic foundations under a cultured, cosmopolitan and cool image. Because it is a charming state of being. Good taste because we are sustainable and we respect the planet. Good taste because we are sensitive. Good taste just because.

Photo by Karl Erik Brondbo, finalist of the Emergentes dst Award 2011.

Responsibility. (from the lat respondere) n. the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct; a form of trustworthiness.

We must be certain that, before a choice, we chose what is best for both of us and not just the best for each one. Each employee is responsible for his negotiated activity and co-responsible if the co-worker does not fulfil his own task, thus preventing the common goal. A team is a set of individuals - is a whole. In the business game, as in social or family contexts, everyone must comply with their own relative position and we shall not permit that one of ours fails to be in our team.

5. Raul en
20/06/2022
The cities we want to have

INGENIUM – Young Engineers

The importance of cities

Nowadays the world is advancing in a telluric way. We are experiencing a new reality that is transforming the way we move, consume, communicate or work. We are already moving towards a "new normal" that we are discovering. We live in a time of upheaval where the "world leaps and bounds" - as António Gedeão reminded us in his "Philosopher's Stone". We are witnessing profound social changes, technological innovations, scientific discoveries and new artworks. Cities will be the reflection of this entropy, more alive and creative, "smart" mirroring the ambitions and needs of citizens.

It is in a context of convergence that cities can and should be the "stage" for experimentation and implementation of progress, in a context of opportunity, growth, sustainability and well-being of their citizens. If, on the one hand, there are global adversities such as the pandemic that crosses us, the scarcity of natural resources, climate change, geopolitical crises and wars, or the exponential population growth in cities, on the other hand, we find answers in the new ways of sharing knowledge, through remote and collaborative work, strategic partnerships, high-capacity 5G networks, internet, cloud computing, digital platforms and applications or artificial intelligence. In short, we live in an information and "always-on" society.

This information society shows that the path from Smart Cities to a Smart Nation is made of choices and should be a design of any nation. Today, cities compete with each other on a global scale, they are more important than the nations where they are located and must be the answer to the great challenges of this century.

Edward Glaeser - a leading Harvard University Professor and urban economist - in his book "In The Triumph of Cities", gives this perspective by stating that "ideas spread more easily in denser places".  This evidence of it becomes a factor of growth, of opportunity, just as an entrepreneurial ecosystem tends to create clusters in more urban environments. Richard Florida, an American theorist of urban studies, with a focus on social and economic theory, in his book "Who's your City", deconstructs the globalisation hype, which puts everything at a "click" distance, which could lead us to believe that where we live is of no importance, because, after all, in a way, the "world is flat".

To this end, the author argues that "the place where we live is more important to the global economy than ever before" and further that, the place, the city, we choose to live in determines the jobs, the careers we can have access to and the people we can meet, stating that deciding the city where we want to live is as important to one's happiness as choosing one's wife or career. In this context, the choice of city to live in has never been more important.

 

But, after all, what are Smart Cities?

The European Commission defines a Smart City as "a place where traditional networks and services are made more efficient by the use of digital solutions for the benefit of its inhabitants and businesses", or as Jane Jacobs reminds us "cities have the ability to provide something for everyone, just because, and only whe7n, they are created by everyone".

A Smart City has different areas of action, from governance, mobility, energy, environment, health, education, and economy to well-being. The Smart Cities ecosystem hosts a myriad of technologies such as, for example, artificial intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Big Data, IoT and Cloud. It can be seen as a layered structure where we have digital infrastructures, platforms, sensors, devices, services and applications.

As you can see from the image, all layers are sources of information and all form part of an integrated information model. This information in the form of data is then collected by platforms, services and applications, which make use of AI algorithms and monitor the different "city systems", promoting "Digital Twins" that simulate the "state of the city" in its different realities and, consequently, a new form of data-driven urban planning, management and operation.

A Smart City promotes the values of inclusion, innovation and sustainability and only exists as a reality if people-centred, as follows from the United Nations 2030 urban agenda in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), where SDG11 is dedicated to "Sustainable Cities and Communities".

What are the challenges and opportunities that Smart Cities face today?

As the digital economy matures, Smart Cities are gaining space and relevance all over the world. However, their market faces some challenges, namely the ability of central and local governments to open horizons by deciding on the opportunities they represent, providing dedicated financial instruments and digital empowerment.

For many, the image of a Smart City translates into autonomous, flying vehicles, drones performing services, the delivery of mail and other goods, or a cornucopia of "connected things" in digital interaction with the surrounding space, causing various actions and reactions triggered by subliminal advertising messages.

This image clashes with a reality where other innovations and policies intersect, environmental and waste infrastructures are launched and LED public lighting, bicycle paths and fibre optic networks are extended, at the same pace as other Smart City projects in terms of sensors are advancing.

In the early days of Smart Cities, the exuberance of technologies dictated the choice and only afterwards was the integration into the city's challenges sought. Now, cities are identifying their local problems and challenges, whether through roadmaps for decarbonisation, mobility plans, sustainability plans or the SDGs; and only then is the range of technology solutions best suited to those local challenges sought. This shift has also impacted business models and the relationship between the private and public sectors in Smart Cities, with those that are models based on efficiency, effectiveness and savings prevailing.

With this change, we have seen the blurring of one of the challenges of Smart Cities: citizens' perception of them. Today, each of us walking down the street can see that we have access to different forms of mobility, electric charging hubs, differentiated waste bins, city services and tourism applications, and air quality or noise level indicators, among others.

We live the opportunity of a unique time, in which technology is mature, the result of several years of technological developments, of its "natural selection", experiencing a horizon open to innovation and practical application of solutions that help consolidate the idea of Smart City. Covid-19 exposed weaknesses and inequalities, particularly in the access to digital, which promoted the need for change in central and local governments. This was also felt in citizens, families and businesses who are prone to 'comfort' and 'convenience', but which, in this case, only digital can offer. Above all, the pandemic has made people-centred policies more urgent.

Although they cover only 2% of the Earth's surface, cities are responsible for more than 70% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, 170 countries adopted the Paris Agreement, intending to decrease global temperatures by 1.5°C, however, a 2020 report from the United Nations Environment Programme shows that if we do not move forward with strict and effective measures, we will reach a 3°C increase by the end of the 21st century. Climate change mitigation and the decarbonisation of cities in areas such as circular economy, mobility, energy and buildings, are critical factors for the sustainability of the planet and technology is an ally in this mission.

We all know by now that data is the oil of the 21st century. The opportunity for new data policies, whether in the current open data programmes or the creation of data lakes and interoperability models, are of inescapable strategic importance because only through access to different data sources can value be created for decision-making and promotion of new service design, digital transformation policies and territorial cohesion. However, these data are dispersed, and there is a lack of policies and processes for the management of these data, more public-private partnerships and support for municipal Smart Cities strategies.

Although they cover only 2% of the Earth's surface, cities are responsible for more than 70% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, 170 countries adopted the Paris Agreement, intending to decrease global temperatures by 1.5°C, however, a 2020 report from the United Nations Environment Programme shows that if we do not move forward with strict and effective measures, we will reach a 3°C increase by the end of the 21st century. Climate change mitigation and the decarbonisation of cities in areas such as circular economy, mobility, energy and buildings, are critical factors for the sustainability of the planet and technology is an ally in this mission.

We all know by now that data is the oil of the 21st century. The opportunity for new data policies, whether in the current open data programmes or the creation of data lakes and interoperability models, are of inescapable strategic importance because only through access to different data sources can value be created for decision-making and promotion of new service design, digital transformation policies and territorial cohesion. However, these data are dispersed, and there is a lack of policies and processes for the management of these data, more public-private partnerships and support for municipal Smart Cities strategies.

Cities thus assume supra-territorial importance, the tangible and the intangible, and with that, new concerns arise that, before, were not on the priorities of the political and urban planning agenda, such as the need for a new urban aesthetic, promotion of culture and arts and valorisation of public spaces. A translation of this idea, for example, is in the image of the art installation by Julian Opie, a famous British artist, who drew inspiration from the art, design and language of various artistic genres, through a female figure, the act of walking and running, "Teresa Walking". José Teixeira, Chairman of the Board of Directors of dstgroup and founder of zet gallery, says: "public art (...) puts the order in spaces, on one hand. On the other hand, public artworks like morphine, it turns on the Zen side of the brain". The binomial culture-technology becomes future-proof conjunction in Smart Cities.

Europe has launched funding lines, such as the Next Generation EU (PRR), a unique opportunity for the transformation of economies in Europe, in addition to national structural funds (PT 2020, PT 2030), and the New European Bauhaus which, through integrated approaches in the fields of creativity, art, culture, science and technology and social inclusion, in a global framework around three fundamental values (sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion), bring hope in the promotion of strategies, projects, creative territories, in the creative and behavioural economy. But does the RRP "have room" for Smart Cities, beyond the creation of a strategy?

And Portugal, what are you waiting for?

Portugal ranks 16th in the EU-27 in the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). According to a source from the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI 2021), Portugal is #1 in the European Union in the adoption of digital practices with an impact on business sustainability and #11 in the European Union in digital public services made available to citizens. Portugal is also the country of Via Verde, one of the most advanced ATM networks in the world, of the Simplex programme and creator of one of the most promising entrepreneurial ecosystems in the world, launching unicorn startups from Portugal to the world.

There are cities in Portugal with relevant Smart Cities initiatives: Lisbon, Porto, Cascais, Loures, Gaia, Esposende, Estarreja, Fundão, Aveiro, Viseu, Braga, Famalicão or Guimarães, in different domains such as mobility, energy, environment, urban art, 5G and urban platforms.

Recently, Lisbon, Porto and Guimarães were among the 100 cities that will have access to 360 million euros with a view to carbon neutrality by 2030, in a European Union initiative, "Mission Cities", for projects and actions in the areas of green mobility, energy efficiency and green urban planning.

The Government launched an inter-ministerial working group, integrating six governmental areas, to move forward with a National Smart Cities Strategy to develop "smart cities that provide more people-centred, inclusive, sustainable and interoperable services throughout the national territory". There is also a collaborative model and mission structure, Portugal Digital, with the collaboration of the Agency for Administrative Modernisation, the Directorate-General of Local Authorities, the Directorate-General of the Territory and the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities.

In summary, Portugal needs to opt for a more pragmatic, realistic and practical vision, to move forward quickly with local strategies and projects and avoid the mistake of densifying and delaying a strategy longer when what is needed is "to do".

Opinion Article

Raúl Bordalo Junqueiro, Head of Smart Cities and Business Development at mosaic, dstgroup's innovation hub