Barcelona, 13th most connected city in the world and 7th in Europe

• • The Networked Society Index 2016 measures sustainable urban development and maturity in use of ICT
• • The Catalan capital is the only city in Spain to make the ranking

The city of Barcelona has climbed five positions to 13th on the Networked Society Index 2016, published yearly by Ericsson to measure the sustainable urban development and maturity in terms of use of information and communication technology (ICT) of 41 cities around the world. The Catalan capital is the only city in Spain to make the ranking.

Specifically, the study measures how sustainable urban development and the use of ICT improve cities on three levels: society, economy and environment. Stockholm is at the top of the ranking, like last year, followed by London, Singapore, Paris, Copenhagen, Helsinki and New York. Behind Barcelona on this yearly list of connected cities are Hong Kong, Berlin, Munich, Rome and Sidney.

Among other aspects, the Networked Society Index 2016 proves the relationship between social and economic development and ICT maturity, and the importance communication technology has in making development more sustainable.

The report also concludes that it is key to undertake actions to make cities more sustainable, including using ICT as a basic infrastructure in investment plans, creating regulatory environments to encourage the use of new technology, developing global approaches to integrate ICT in planning in various sectors (transport, power, public safety, etc.) and promoting collaboration among cities.

Finally, the Ericsson report highlights that smart city planning will be key to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, fostering the advancement of actions to improve the climate, reduce poverty, improve healthcare and education and improve social and financial inclusiveness.