Albania: 112 innovation projects
Crowdfunding helps make countries open and smart
Open Data is flourishing all around the European continent. Tirana (Albania) is one of those places. Engaging with citizens and using Open Data is important assets for helping the development of prioritised sectors: mobility, society, housing, economy and rural life. Crowdfunding financing is deployed to carry out various projects. Examples of the 112 proposed projects include: using Open Data to determine which playgrounds are accessible for children with special needs, and the Tirana Ime app that provides (public) transport information and stimulates community interaction across neighbourhoods.
The city of Tirana has started a smart city initiative that relies on Open Data from different sectors. It introduced new types of projects and took the chance of using less conservative financing schemes, such as crowdfunding. Given its success, the city expects other Albanian cities to adopt more innovative approaches to funding of current projects and foster open and smart innovations too.