SEPI Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales

• Santander’s Mayor, Mr. Íñigo de la Serna, and CORREOS’ Chairman, Mr. Javier Cuesta Nuin, signed today the framework agreement with the city council of the Cantabrian capital
• The first projects will be focused on monitoring the public infrastructures, the condition of public equipment on the streets, as well as the exchange of information between both entities about best practices
• Santander chairs the Spanish Network of Smart Cities, and CORREOS is designing services for Smart Cities based on its technological capabilities and on its postmen network, who represent the best “urban watchers”

Santander city council and CORREOS have reached an agreement for collaborating in the development of projects aimed at turning progressively the municipality of Santander into a “Smart City” or an “Intelligent City”.

Santander’s Mayor, Mr. Íñigo de la Serna, and CORREOS’ Chairman, Mr. Javier Cuesta Nuin, signed today at the city hall of the capital of Cantabria the framework agreement, as a result of which both entities undertake to propose specific actions aimed at promoting innovation, economic development, entrepreneurship, quality, efficiency, and the modernization of the local administration, as well as the exchange of experiences and of best practices.

In the words of the Mayor, Mr. de la Serna, “This Agreement will help us to continue promoting Santander as a Smart City and to keep advancing in our goal of improving the services which we provide to the citizens through the use of the Technology. CORREOS’ collaboration is going to be very positive for our city, and we are grateful for their disposition to work jointly, materialized through this Agreement”.

As Mr. Cuesta Nuin explained, “CORREOS is in the position of making a valuable contribution to Smart Cities because we have that what they need for their development: technology, innovation, and above all, people. Our 30,000 postmen, who everyday go through every place in Spain, equipped with appliances which incorporate the latest technologies, constitute the best network of “urban watchers” which you might wish”.

Pilot Project

According to the Agreement, which will be in effect during four years, CORREOS and the City Council undertake to carry out a pilot project during the first twelve months. Both parties have agreed that the first initiatives will be focused on two kind of activities: monitoring public infrastructures and the condition of the public equipment on the streets; as well as the exchange of best practices and of information.

Furthermore, CORREOS has at its disposal the technological capability and the human resources required for providing many other services within the field of the Smart Cities. This Agreement will allow it to explore such new innovative services as the following:

• Those regarding environmental actions and data collecting;
• Local services and home care services for seniors and for disabled persons;
• Promotion of the electronic administration and the support of the local administration;
• Digital services and those for promoting ecommerce,
• Electric mobility and new distribution channels, among other possibilities.

The Framework Agreement does not imply by itself financial considerations. However, when specific projects are agreed which entail a cost, a concrete Execution Agreement will be prepared which will reflect in a detailed way all the specific actions to be implemented and the financial undertakings and of any other kind which the parties might agree.

Furthermore, the scope of the agreement is not limited to collecting information, so that the parties will carry out activities and will exchange best practices on issues regarding Smart Cities, such as promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, joint creation, etc. Thus, thanks to the conclusion of this Agreement, CORREOS will be collaborating with one of the leading cities in Spain and internationally within the field of the Smart Cities, taking advantage of the knowledge and experience for thinking up and defining new services for Smart Cities.

Santander chairs the Spanish Network of Smart Cities

The city of Santander is one of those which has progressed the most within the Smart Cities’ field, with a strong undertaking for setting up an innovative ecosystem as the basis for attracting economic development and new jobs into the city. Currently it chairs the Spanish.

Network of Smart Cities (RECI), which is made up by 65 Spanish municipalities, and of which CORREOS is global sponsor.

Within the framework of that forum arose the possibility of both entities collaborating in identifying and developing new services by CORREOS within the field of the Smart Cities which can be later apply to all the RECI’s cities thanks to the presence of the postal and packaging company all over Spain.

Correos/Grupo SEPI

Correos belongs to Grupo SEPI, a corporate holding which includes a total of 16 state-owned companies in which it has a direct, majority shareholding participation, with a final workforce of about 73,000 professionals in 2014, and to which is attached the state-owned radio-and-television corporation, as well as one public foundation. Besides, it has direct minority shareholding participations in a further 10 companies, and indirect ones in more than 100 companies.

Correos is the biggest company in Spain, both in terms of its presence and territorial scope, with around 10,000 points for gaining access to its services. It distributes around 3,600 Million shipments per year, and it reaches daily 28 Million households, companies and institutions. It has a human team made up by more than 50,000 professionals who work to provide comprehensive solutions and a wide range of high-quality products adapted to the different customer categories, both in packaging and direct marketing, and in postal services based on the new technologies and financial services.