Page 15 - U4SSC Factsheet Ålesund, Norway, June 2020

(for example, Student ICT Access) and two-thirds primarily concern sustainable development and
environmental impact (for example, Noise Exposure). As such, U4SSC forms a necessary bridge between
digitalization and sustainable development.

Ålesund and the U4SSC KPI Project

In response to questions on the level of its digital development and sustainability, the Region of
Ålesund decided to join this ITU-led project, utilizing the needs, aims and solutions of the U4SSC.
This ambitious project would help Ålesund measure and compare its degree of digitalization and
sustainability.

Findings from this project are expected to form an SSC development trajectory to which administrators
of other municipalities and regions similar in size and capacity to Ålesund will be able to adapt when
developing their own smart sustainable strategies. The KPIs will also help demonstrate how Ålesund is
progressing in its achievement of the SDGs. The continuation of the project could also assist Ålesund
in conducting a periodic internal review of its current ICT-related efforts, thereby allowing the region
to benchmark how its ICTs can best be used to monitor and improve its smart city processes and
operations. This project can, therefore, play a key role in planning Ålesund’s SSC future.

Region Profile: Ålesund, Norway

City Profile

Inhabitants 82 488 City GDP USD 4 196 002 396
Area 3 606 km 2 Household Income USD 80 296
Households 35 921 Inflation Rate 3.1 %

Originally established as a port town in 1848, Ålesund is part of a historic area in Norway recognized
for its beautiful high mountains, blue fjords and distinctive Art Nouveau architecture. It is a member
of ‘Réseau Art Nouveau Network’, a European network of Art Nouveau cities, including Glasgow,
Barcelona and Vienna. The broader Region of Ålesund is an inter-municipal development partnership
between the municipalities of Ålesund, Haram, Sandoey, Skodje, Oerskog, Sula and Giske. The focus
of the regional partnership is cooperative economic development between municipalities, in order to
market the region effectively as a competitive and attractive destination for businesses and people.

The region has a clearly defined urban city centre that is surrounded by smaller communities. The
presence of Ålesund University College and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology
(NTNU) has led to it becoming a university town with a total of 2 600 resident students. This university
affiliation is important in strengthening Ålesund as the main regional centre between the cities of
Trondheim and Bergen. 4

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