Ms. Pavone, could you please explain the role of the Coordinator of the Board for Technological Innovation and Digital Transformation of a city like Milan, and what are its objectives? 

The digital transition of services in a city like Milan is a complex goal that requires strong collaboration between public institutions and private entities, as well as cross-cutting work across all components of the administrative machinery. The Board for Technological Innovation and Digital Transformation was conceived and established to meet both of these needs: an entity with strong expertise and a broad vision of the solutions that technology can offer to the needs of people and businesses. I use the word 'entity' to describe the Board because it is composed of experts and leaders from different sectors, representing all stakeholders in the city, but it acts as a unified, organic entity. In this sense, it represents a unique entity in the landscape of municipal administrations. I believe that only in this way, with a “holistic approach”, the digital transformation can be sustainable, accessible to all, and capable of improving the lives of every individual. 

In your opinion, what is the current state of Milan as an innovative ecosystem, and what are the main challenges the city faces from this perspective? 

We have laid the groundwork and achieved some milestones that are just the starting point. The first is the Digital Twin of the city, which we are completing: it is the foundation for intelligence solutions and predictive models that can support and improve future choices for the city. The Municipality of Milan has set guidelines for the governance of the Urban Digital Ecosystem in 2020, and since then, much progress has been made, especially in terms of collaboration between public entities and companies providing services to the city. The Urban Digital Ecosystem platform is now technically available for sharing information via APIs, while the development of a data-driven model for city management and governance has found crucial support in Fondazione Assolombarda and its Milano Smart City Alliance. The challenges? The Next Generation EU funds for digital transition, which are worth over 18 million euros for Milan, and the impact of artificial intelligence on daily life, which are giving a significant boost to the actions that the city has initiated for the development of integrated and interoperable systems, but which are also presenting us with even more challenging objectives, both in terms of implementation times and scope. 

What role does the Milano Innovation District play in this context? 

MIND, the Milano Innovation District, is a paradigm, a tangible example of how collaboration between public and private sectors can drive innovation, generating value, opportunities, and development for everyone. It is not just a hub "near Milan" because it is a new center of the city that is attracting expertise, talent, and initiatives and is truly positioning itself as the "mind," the intellectual center of the new urban space. 

What contribution do companies make to the innovation of city processes and management, and what could be done to make them even more participatory and involved? 

A Smart city is characterized by a high level of integration and interoperability of services and data produced by entrepreneurial initiatives and public entities, which must be shared to improve people's lives. In such a context, it is certainly important for companies to invest in innovation and training, but above all, to cooperate with other actors and decision-makers. This requires creating an environment where citizens and companies do not just feel like users but as co-creators of services, with the public administration as an enabler of solutions. 

What role a Network as Federated Innovation could play in Milan in the coming years? 

I just spoke about enablers: the many projects activated by Federated Innovation @MIND in various fields, from education to healthcare, from construction to mobility, demonstrate this crucial role that you already play. You can help companies become actors in our smart city, facilitating collaboration with the public sector, and you can help the public sector create the cooperation framework necessary to transform "silos" into parts of an ecosystem.