The Smart Nation Curaçao Platform is assigned with the phased implementation of a long term vision and integral strategic plan towards the development of Willemstad as a Smart City and Curacao as a Smart Nation. The Smart Nation movement is increasingly becoming an integral part of our nation’s strategy to achieve sustainable development across fundamental areas and opportunities to improve overall efficiency and quality of life.
Through the integration of ICT solutions across fundamental sectors a balanced socio-economic development is pursued, while ensuring that the needs of present and future generations are still met regarding economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects aiming for economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental protection, which constitute the foundation for sustainable development.
Bureau Telecommunicatie en Post initiated this movement in Curaçao in 2016 with the conference, “Smart Nation: Curaçao objectives beyond 2020”, and is taking it further by building on the success of the event with the introduction of the Curaçao Smart Nation initiative; an open platform supported by the Government through which collective efforts of smart nation stakeholders are united to achieve innovative people-centric solutions to address current and upcoming challenges that Curaçao is facing. The smart nation stakeholders are generally considered to be: government, knowledge & research institutes, academia, NGOs, businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups and citizens.
The Platform provides an effective governance system for the realization of the Smart Nation concept, which structure involves all the relevant stakeholders either by means of direct participation in the work of the Platform or through organized consultation. The process is therefore very inclusive, as innovation requires co-creation and extensive collaboration between various disciplines to realize the best possible outcome for all involved.
Giselle Mc William
Minister of Economic Development, Curaçao
