Málaga-based bank Unicaja Banco has signed an agreement with Smart City Cluster, an alliance of more than 150 companies and institutions, to promote technology and innovation initiatives and projects, as well as sustainable finance, within the smart cities sector. Around 50 Spanish cities are represented in the alliance.

The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration with the bank and the alliance members to explore opportunities to finance projects and channel sustainable investment.

Sustainable action plan

Unicaja Banco has a sustainable finance action plan, which enables it to promote the integration of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into its business strategy. It said the agreement represents a starting point for the future materialisation of projects related to smart cities.

Among the objectives of the agreement are to define policies and actions of common interest around smart cities, strategically plan future development paths for cities and promote research, development and innovation of products, processes and services associated with smart urban infrastructures.

The agreement will also:

• promote the exchange of scientific-technical knowledge between the cluster, universities, technology centres and Unicaja Banco
• promote training activities related to smart urban infrastructures (including courses, technical workshops, symposia and conferences)
• organise events for the promotion of smart cities and urban technologies, and collaborate in environmental policy actions, low carbon economy, energy efficiency, sustainability, sustainable cities and the promotion of the information society.

The Smart City Cluster, based in the Malaga TechPark (Andalusia Technology Park), is an alliance of more than 150 companies and institutions nationwide, in collaboration with around 50 Spanish cities, which work on the development of smart cities.

It aims to develop programmes and initiatives that improving the habitability, comfort and quality of life of the citizens of “any urban nucleus”, regardless of its size, through research, development and innovation projects, in order to build better cities, with a higher degree of environmental sustainability and a more efficient management of resources.

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