The Future of Croatian Cities is Their Digitalization

Eccos has developed a comprehensive solution for the digitalization of cities that enables optimal use of existing resources, care for a safe and sustainable environment, access to personalized information for all service users, and an increase in public safety. The smart city concept allows city administrations to manage the city in a new, smarter way, using digital technologies with a better understanding of the needs of their citizens and tourists.

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To facilitate the implementation of smart solutions in cities, Eccos has developed the Eccos Smart City Enablement Platform (ESCEP). The platform connects participants in the smart city process and serves for unlimited data exchange from various connected systems, providing a universal interface for software and hardware solutions from various manufacturers used by city administration, as well as other participants in the daily functioning of the city.

The application solution is fully adaptable to user requirements.

The application solution consists of modules that can be activated separately, but also adapted to existing systems depending on the client’s or city’s needs. By placing sensors throughout the city (for air pollution and traffic congestion, video cameras, etc.) and using machine learning methods (AI), city traffic is optimized. Data collected from various sensors and, for example, social networks help city administrations better understand the movement of vehicles and pedestrians in the city, thus enabling better traffic management, such as directing traffic to areas with less congestion. Information about parking occupancy is available, allowing users to be directed via mobile to the nearest available spot, the occupancy of specific (disabled) spaces, the status of electric vehicle charging stations, etc.

Citizens and service users are informed through various channels about all necessary information regarding the functioning of the city, while the overall security level of cities is enhanced by connecting technical protection systems (video surveillance, etc.) managed by entities other than the city administration.

More efficient operations with cost tracking.

The sale and collection of various (city) services are carried out using various advanced technologies (smart terminals, mobile applications, etc.), and conducting financial transactions through integrated sales channels provides the ability to easily track operations and accept and transfer necessary data to third-party systems (business applications, financial institutions, etc.).

One of the key functionalities of the platform is a powerful reporting system. It enables the creation and display of various types of reports according to the needs and rights of individual (city) services using the system, or individual users. In addition to operational and service reports that facilitate the management of various systems integrated on the ESCEP platform, it is also possible to create various financial reports.

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Poreč is a good example of a smart city.

The administration of the city of Poreč, as a tourist destination with an increased number of tourists during the summer months, wanted to optimize city traffic and minimize the number of vehicles in the pedestrian zone. Control of vehicle movement was achieved by setting up entry and exit points where IP and LPR cameras were installed to read vehicle license plates, as well as barriers that allow only certain vehicles to enter the pedestrian zone, marina, city cemetery, and waste disposal sites. In addition to reading license plates, identification media for contractual users can be RFID cards or tags and remote controls. Vehicle access control and management of passage permits are enabled through a simply designed interface, and users (such as residents, companies, etc.) can renew their weekly, monthly, or seasonal permits in just a few clicks through external sales channels. The tariff system allows for a range of configurations: emergency services, special occasions, and seasonal tariffs, and a penalty component is also enabled. The user can be a legal or natural person, and there is also support for fleets of rental cars and taxis. By smarter movement and directing of vehicles, harmful emissions have been reduced, and to encourage citizens to properly sort waste, video surveillance has been set up over the sorting disposal site.

City companies in Zagreb, Poreč, Cavtat, etc. are already using the ESCEP platform, to their benefit and to the satisfaction of all users of city services. The implementation of smart solutions not only facilitates the management of existing city infrastructure and services but also allows for modifications to the smart city concept in the future according to the needs of citizens, so we have no doubt about the rapid growth of users of this platform in the future.