Role of Smart Small and Medium Enterprises in the Development of Smart Cities: Case of Casablanca Smart-City Project — Moro cco

Abstract

Abstract:Beyond the fashion effect, the smart city phenomenon has become a good indicator of the dynamism of a modern, more communicative and responsible city. Many companies have taken part in this evolution either by their natural positioning such as Orange or by a technical capacity to carry this change (IBM, Cisco …). But what about the others, in particular small and medium enterprises (SMEs)? The purpose of this paper is to study the role of smart SMEs in the development of smart cities based on the case of Casablanca; a city in the works to turn into a smart city and where SMEs represent the nerve center of the economy. More specifically, the purpose of this study is to establish a correlation between economic intelligence (EI) practices in SMEs and the development of smart cities based on the collaborative approach. The results showed that EI is still embryonic in the case of SMEs located in Casablanca mainly due to cultural and organizational factors. SMEs need therefore to change their working methods to overcome those factors and take part in the smart city ecosystem. In that, we support the progressive vision which puts people at the forefront rather than considering that digital technologies alone can transform and improve cities.

Smart Innovations as Accelerators for SMEs in Rural Areas

“…Smart City Morocco researchers conducted a study in 2018 that worked with the following two hypotheses [17]: H1: Implementation of smart solutions will support not only the competitiveness of companies, but also of the region where they operate.…”