|
 “Governor Rauner has charged us to complete a holistic
transformation and turn Illinois into a 21st century enterprise,”
said Trey Childress, Deputy Governor of Illinois. “Becoming the
first smart state in the country is not just about technology; it is
about improved processes, governance and above all, improved
customer service.”
This workshop had more than 50 participants including Deputy
Governor Trey Childress, state agency heads, city officials,
businesses, universities, national labs and non-profits. It expanded
on the success of the initial Smarter Illinois event held in April
2016 that jumpstarted the state’s technology transformation efforts.
The workshop was delivered by the Smart Cities Council, whose
partners and advisors have contributed to more than 10,000 smart
cities projects internationally.
“Illinois is aggressively reducing the 45 years of technology debt
in only 4 years by acting boldly and strongly engaging the private
sector and other partners in this effort,” according to the State of
Illinois’ Department of Innovation and Technology Secretary
Designate Hardik Bhatt. “We have the opportunity to leapfrog from
legacy technology to global leadership, by getting a head start in
becoming a smarter state.”
 A smart state uses information and communications technology (ICT)
to enhance livability, workability and sustainability in its cities,
towns, rural areas and state agencies. A Smarter Illinois is ready
for the future – harnessing digital transformation in a socially
inclusive way that also strengthens business opportunities as well
as the state’s brand.
Key goals of the smart state initiative include improving the
overall efficiency, effectiveness and accessibility of government
services; creating an attractive climate for businesses and
entrepreneurs; increasing state GDP; and establishing a leadership
position as a smart state – all while keeping enterprise security
and privacy at the forefront and preparing our workforce for the
future.
Sue Gander, the Director of the National Governors Association’s
Environment, Energy and Transportation Division, also participated
in the workshop. “Illinois’ smart state initiative is unique in that
it involves collaboration among state agencies, cities, universities
and industry partners,” said Gander. “The Illinois team set a strong
example for other states to follow.”
[to top of second column] |
During the workshop, several key action areas were prioritized with
accompanying goals, assigned leadership roles and designated project
partners, including the following:
- Applying sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) to buildings
and streetlights
- Enhancing mobile citizen engagement and delivery of
government services
- Developing a procurement platform to obtain better pricing
through volume discounts and streamline city and state
purchasing
- Generating more benefits from the existing portfolio of
state assets
- Creating a more business-friendly state supported by a
digital portal
- Applying smart cities standards
- Reviewing policy and regulations to remove barriers to
implementing smart technologies
- Establishing a Smart Illinois brand
About DoIT: On January 25, 2016, Governor Rauner
issued Executive Order 16-01 establishing the Department of
Innovation & Technology (DoIT), a new state agency with
responsibility for the information technology functions of
agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor. DoIT’s mission
is to empower the State of Illinois through high-value,
customer-centric technology by delivering best-in-class
innovation to client agencies fostering collaboration and
empowering employees to provide better services to residents,
businesses, and visitors. More information can be found on the
DoIT website.
About the Smart Cities Council: Launched in 2012, the Smart
Cities Council is the author of the internationally recognized
Smart Cities Readiness Guide, which provides guiding principles
and best practices for an integrated, cross-cutting smart city.
The Readiness Guide – which was developed based on input from
hundreds of cities and solution vendors and has been applied all
over the world – is the framework used to produce Readiness
Workshops and Smart Cities Week conferences. The Council is
comprised of more than 120 partners and advisors who have
generated $2.7 trillion in annual revenue and contributed to
more than 10,000 smart cities projects. To learn more, visit
www.smartcitiescouncil.com.
[Illinois Department of Innovation &
Technology]
 |
