The City of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat is aware of the fact that the pandemic has worsened the digital emergency. For this reason, L’Hospitalet feels the urge to accelerate the digitalization process at all levels, from the improvement of connectivity to the integration of digital technology, the digitalization of public services, the increase of the usage of the internet, or the digital improvement of the city’s workforce. 

A strong bet on digital inclusion

There is an important fraction of the city’s population that is being left behind in the digital society (the digital breach). This calls for a strong bet on digital inclusion and on turning digital society into a right. 

In L'Hospitalet, the digital breach has three items: age (elder people), income (low income), and gender. Despite the existence of an important number of digital training resources in different municipal facilities such as senior social centers, libraries, or social entities, it is necessary to guarantee access to internet connection and devices to the vulnerable. 

Besides, despite the existence of resources to promote digital talent in Professional Training schools, L’Hospitalet wants to get the most of the potential of young people for the new digital society job positions. 

Digitalising public services

On the other side, regarding the digital transformation of the public administration, L’Hospitalet considers it as the catalyst for the necessary redesigning of the public services, to make them more accessible (omnichannel), agile (click-less), citizen-centered, proactive, and adaptable according to their demands (data-driven).

All in all, L'Hospitalet has a high global connectivity potential in areas such as the Economic District, but it is mandatory to ensure the creation of a high-capacity public network that connects municipal facilities and public WIFI networks with new generation private networks (5G). 

The strategy to transform L'Hospitalet

As a follow-up to the L'Hospitalet City Agreement, a treaty signed by all the political parties currently represented in the City Council, unions, employers organizations, and community associations to fight the economic and social impact of the pandemic, the city is working on the development of a global city strategy committed to digital rights and to give an impulse to the digital transformation on the 6 city districts (L'H 6.0).

Following the work that L’Hospitalet started in 2013 with the strategic city project L'H ON, the main purpose of the city strategy is "To situate L'Hospitalet at the centre of the economic development of the Barcelona metropolitan area, with innovative, powerful, and competitive industries and services, especially in the biomedical and cultural fields, and to enforce social cohesion by renewing its commitment to education and a better-connected city both internally and externally. A city that unapologetically projects a modern collective identity based on civic responsibility, commitment, and solidarity". 

Apart from that main purpose, 6 other strategic work lines were established: 

1. L'Hospitalet as the new metropolitan centrality (pending infrastructures, new metropolitan agenda). 
2. L'Hospitalet, the second economic force of Catalunya (the L'Hospitalet brand and the Barcelona brand, a sustainable and digitalized city, restoration of industrial buildings). 
3. A new commitment to responsible and dedicated citizenship (new agreement between social entities and the local administration). 
4. L'Hospitalet, a reference in cultural matters (Cultural District). 
5. L'Hospitalet, a guarantee for equal opportunity through education and training (professional training as a city asset). 
6. A better-connected city (connection and promotion of the use of public space). 

The strategic project L'H ON 2025 was designed to prompt the third transformation of the city, a transformation that, unlike the previous ones, was not only urbanistic but also social and economic. The strong bet on economic development, innovation, and talent, but also on inclusion and the constant improvement of the city are common in both L'H On and L'H 6.0. 

As a city, L’Hospitalet prioritises the fight against the digital breach, the promotion of digital talent (upskilling), the digital professional reskilling, the advantages that digitalization can bring about for local businesses, the development of 5G granting universal connection, the public administration open data - citizen-centered -, and the digital transformation of the City Council services.