2 lighthouse projects

Digitalization: €10 million for a “topic close to the heart”

Digitalization is a topic close to Mario Gerber's heart.(Bild: Blue Planet Studio – stock.adobe.com/Christof Birbaumer/Krone KREATIV)

Tyrol's Provincial Councillor Mario Gerber gave a review and outlook on the state of digitalization. This year, the province is investing ten million euros in this area. The datahub.tirol and digital building submission are the flagship projects.

"Since I have been in office, 20 million euros have been invested in digitalization, ten million are planned for this year," calculated ÖVP provincial councillor Mario Gerber, who is also responsible for business and tourism, on Monday.

The politician gave a review and outlook on his "heart topic". He is particularly proud of the broadband model. "190 of the 277 municipalities and 20 planning associations have expanded the infrastructure over the past eleven years. The state has provided almost 110 million euros for this." 

Digitalization is a topic close to Mario Gerber's heart.(Bild: Blue Planet Studio – stock.adobe.com/Christof Birbaumer/Krone KREATIV)

190 municipalities have expanded their broadband infrastructure.(Bild: © Gundolf Renze/stock.adobe.com)

Provincial platform linked to ID Austria
The second thing Gerber highlighted was the Digital Service Tirol platform developed by the in-house IT service provider, Daten-Verarbeitung-Tirol GmbH. "Among other things, private individuals can adapt their family pass and companies can view their mandatory tourism contributions. The platform was expanded last year. For example, forms for the Tirol subsidy or the school cost subsidy can be submitted easily."

The platform will also be gradually linked to ID Austria. "Citizens and businesses can already use it to view electronically managed files or parts of them. This makes us a leader in the administrative sector throughout Austria."

The datahub.tirol can be used to develop new business models or implement new business ideas. We are providing 500,000 euros for this this year.

Digitalisierungs-Landesrat Mario Gerber von der ÖVP

Separate ministry for digitalization conceivable
In order to drive broadband expansion forward, the services offered by the Broadband Service Agency Tirol are to be expanded in the coming months to support the remaining municipalities. Two lighthouse projects this year are the digital building submission and datahub.tirol. This enables data to be linked and used regionally, nationally and internationally. "In tourist regions, for example, visitor flows can be directed, public transport can be planned better and road clearance can be organized more effectively."

Incidentally, Gerber can also imagine a separate digitalization ministry in the future.