Digital Paradiplomacy 4.0

Cities are increasingly integrated and competitive. The development of paradiplomacy in the era of Revolution 4.0 opens a new horizon for international cooperation between municipalities and greater interaction between data shared by cities.

Paradiplomacy is the area of ​​international relations responsible for the study and performance of subnational entities (states, municipalities, provinces, administrative regions, etc.) on the international stage. An increasingly broad area, which already has its own legislation in several countries, such as neighboring Argentina. In Brazil, the federal constitution attributes to the nation the articulation and defense of national interests, but in the last decades there has been a flexibilization due to the decentralization, the transfer of responsibilities of the State and the greater international activity in Brazilian cities. Within this phenomenon, smart cities have expanded the possibilities for international action, thanks to the rationalization of the dynamics of urban spaces and the increase in competitiveness and cooperation between cities. The Smart Cities market grows 14% per year according to the UN Habitat report and already totals US $ 1.3 billion. In heterogeneous countries such as Brazil, the capacity for international articulation of a municipality can be decisive in its development and in the defense of its interests. Many Brazilian cities already have some type of body responsible for international relations and participate in networks of regional and global cities in order to gain visibility, competitiveness and cooperate with other municipalities around the planet.

The performance of a city on the international scene can influence its ability to attract investments, implement new technologies and solutions to problems in its daily life, which have already been faced by other cities in the world.

In this context, Revolution 4.0 plays in favor of urban spaces and smart cities, since with the increasing integration between the digital world and the physical space, local agents have a greater number of information and advanced tools for a better management of urban elements . From health, education and citizen participation, new technologies can result in an improvement in the quality of life in cities with economic or structural limitations. An example of the impact of the digital world on urban reality is the system used in the city of Santos (São Paulo) to schedule appointments and clinical examinations, thus expanding service to the community and reducing management costs. This type of service is increasingly common in Brazilian cities.

However, the use of new tools in the field of paradiplomacy and municipal relations is still limited in Brazil. Although many regions participate in networks of cities, they do not use the full potential of this integration.

Among the reasons that we can point out for this are the lack of specific legislation for subnational international relations, the duplicity of responsibility of public services and the lack of a favorable legal framework for the municipality to have a greater capacity to articulate with other cities. in the world and to seek autonomously financing, investments, solutions and international cooperation projects.

The use of technology in the paradiplomacy provides potential for Brazilian municipalities and allows for greater interoperability with other bodies and levels of power around the world.

Cities in Europe like Barcelona, ​​already have an advanced data system known as Open Data BCN, which helps in international promotion and in the decision making of important local and foreign investments, in addition to offering a reliable panorama of the local reality. Thus, the Spanish city can interact with other cities in Europe and share knowledge and technology, streamlining years of negotiations.

In Brazil, there is great potential, mainly with the increase of public-private partnerships (PPP) and investment partnership programs (PPI), of the international action of cities in the promotion of municipalities and in their internationalization policies.

Therefore, it is necessary to integrate the area of ​​international relations with the areas of local development, ICT and smart cities.

Article from ind4.0 - By Wesley Sa Teles Guerra