The Zamora Smart Data Space Innovation Centre: Territorial Digital Transformation

AI Open Space

The Zamora Smart Data Space Innovation Centre: Territorial Digital Transformation

The Zamora Smart Data Space Innovation Centre, led by the AIR Institute, has become a benchmark in applying artificial intelligence to medium-sized cities. The Data Space represents a unique opportunity for businesses, public administrations, research centres and citizens to collaborate in a secure, ethical, and innovative way.

Agriculture: Optimisation and Sustainability

Through the Data Space, farmers gain access to integrated, real-time information — meteorological data, soil analysis, irrigation optimisation, and drone and satellite imagery. These datasets feed AI models that enable:

  • Early detection of pests, droughts, and frosts weeks in advance.
  • Optimised decision-making for sowing, harvesting, and phytosanitary treatments.
  • Reduced use of chemical inputs and maximised yields.
  • Easier certification of organic farming through full traceability.

The result is a more profitable, competitive, and climate-resilient agricultural sector.

Mobility: Efficient and Responsible Transport

The Centre develops solutions integrating IoT sensor data, municipal GPS, smart parking systems, and user demand to create predictive models tailored to Zamora’s context:

  • Adaptive traffic management: Smart traffic lights at critical points (Carretera de La Aldehuela, Puente de Piedra, historic centre).
  • Optimised public transport: Demand prediction, on-demand routes, and improved connections with RENFE.
  • Heritage protection: Automated access control respecting the medieval city centre.
  • Integrated platform: A multimodal app combining bus, bicycle, parking, and taxi services.
  • Tourism mobility: Intelligent visitor distribution towards dispersed heritage sites.

Zamora can deploy solutions quickly and cost-effectively, setting an example for other medium-sized cities.

Energy: Efficiency and Green Transition

By analysing data from multiple sources, the Centre enables:

  • Detection of anomalies in street lighting, buildings, and industries through predictive maintenance.
  • Better planning for the integration of renewable energy in real time.
  • Support for local energy communities through transparent data sharing.
  • Monitoring of the city’s carbon footprint.
  • Democratisation of energy analysis tools for SMEs.

This aligns the province with European green transition goals, including the Green Deal and 2030–2050 emission targets.

Healthcare: Equitable and Preventive Care

Zamora faces specific challenges: geographic dispersion, an ageing population, and a shortage of specialists. The Smart Data Space Innovation Centre helps to address these through:

  • AI-assisted early diagnosis, crucial in rural areas lacking medical specialists.
  • Smart telemedicine with automatic patient prioritisation.
  • Health planning based on real demand and emergency forecasting.
  • Proactive prevention by identifying at-risk groups.
  • Remote monitoring of chronic patients using wearable devices.
  • Efficient appointment management and reduced waiting times.
  • Participation in national clinical research projects.

This fosters a healthcare model that is more preventive, equitable, and efficient.

Tourism: Smart and Sustainable Destination

With its world-class heritage and rural offering, Zamora can become an innovative destination through:

  • Analysis of visitor patterns to design more engaging experiences.
  • AI-powered recommendations suggesting less crowded routes.
  • Territorial visitor distribution benefiting dispersed heritage sites and local communities.
  • Evidence-based planning for municipal infrastructure.
  • Forecasting of demand peaks (e.g., Easter Week, local festivities).
  • Measurable sustainability certification.

The outcome is personalised tourism that creates jobs and helps to stabilise the population across the province.

The Smart Data Space Innovation Centre: An Open Innovation Ecosystem

The Smart Data Space Innovation Centre acts as a collaborative hub where farmers, mobility startups, local councils, energy companies, and SMEs can access high-quality data, advanced methodologies, and research support to develop new products and services.

Zamora is building a territorial digital transformation model that positions the province as a leader in data governance, artificial intelligence, and sustainable economic development for medium-sized cities.