Smart specialisation platforms for smart(er) territories

Over the last decades, many cities have based their urban strategies on smart specialisation on open web platforms that systematise different sectors to create smart cities. According to international organisations, open web platforms may improve urban life by including more sustainable solutions and tackling problems specific to each city across a range of policy areas, including energy, mobility-transport, and ICT The literature also demonstrates the importance of connectivity and interoperability, two key components of open web platforms, in digital transformation. Indeed, with the adoption of common standards and improved interoperability amongst public administrations, they enable strong collaboration between territorial systems. From these premises, the purpose of this paper is investigating the relationship between territorial development and the use of open data platforms. To this goal, the authors make a cross-reading of some European platforms’ good practices in order to define actions and strategies that facilitate territorial planning.