Estonia, Good for Business, Internet, Real Estate

The prize will be awarded at the Netexplo Smart Cities Accelerator forum, co-organized by UNESCO, in March 2020,

City Secretary Toomas Sepp said that this kind of recognition is very important and also acknowledges that the city is on the right track with digital developments and the application of new technologies.

"All the more so because information technology is a fast-developing field where competition is increasing year by year, and thus poses ever more complex challenges for each community. Tallinn's success story, which sets us apart - lies first and foremost in public e-services and electronic procedure, that is so-called paperless city governance," Sepp said. "This way, residents can apply for all the services of the city as e-services. Applications are processed through specially designed information systems that are fast, secure, environmentally friendly as well as user friendly. Likewise, official documents are no longer produced on paper by the city government, but historical city management has been moved to the future, that is to e-solutions. At the same time, Tallinn provides its citizens with information on city life conveniently and on a running basis, and its open data also enables many companies of the new economy to develop," he added.

The partnership between UNESCO and the Netexplo Observatory honors places around the world that have distinguished themselves through innovation in the field of the intelligent, sustainable and inclusive city. It gives out smart city awards to highlight the innovative, sustainable and inclusive solutions of cities in 10 categories, including attractiveness, data sphere, education, resilience, financing, housing, mobility, digital transformation, zero carbon goal and transport. The 2020 winner were announced at the UN's World Cities Day.

"Tallinn is one of the top ten cities in the world awarded in various fields. The digital transformation category recognizes the use of new technologies and the creation of innovative services to improve the quality of life of the city's residents," Thierry Happe, president and one of the founders of Nepexplso, said

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In addition to Tallinn, the top 10 of the Netexplo Smart Cities 2020 include Austin in the United States, Dakar in Senegal, Espoo in Finland, Medellin in Colombia, Shenzhen in China, Santiago in Chile, Singapore, Surat in India and Vienna in Austria.

Netexplo is an independent observatory that has been investigating the impact of digital technologies on the society society and entrepreneurship since 2007. The partnership between Netexplo and UNESCO was established in 2011.