Will Varadero Become the New Digital City of Cuba?

Plans to make Varadero the new digital city of Cuba, a project of the Technological and Scientific Park Society, are underway. It will turn Cuba’s most famous resort destination into a digital city by December 2024.

Diego Castilla, President of the Technological Park, told ACN that students and professors from the University of Matanzas will diagnose actions to evaluate the current computerization level of the area.

The goal, said Castilla, “is to get the certification by world agencies to declare Varadero a smart city based on all international standards to get that status. We have enough potential here to advance the project very fast; the intensive use of I.T. and the computerization of public services will favor tourists and local citizens, while this will also benefit the private economic sector.”

Mailé Salgado Cruz, vice-president of Matanzas S.A., said that the initiative is currently in its first stage–analyzing the services and technological capacity of Varadero.

The first steps of analysis will identify the projects to be carried out and the preparation of diagnostic groups, she said.

Salgado Cruz said that one of the 19 initiatives planned in different stages by the Scientific-Technological Park is to use the analysis of technologies to generate solutions that contribute to the quality of life of both local residents and tourists.

The Digital City Project will influence the development of e-commerce and payment channels, improve government, mobility, and transportation services, sustainability, and ecosystems.

“The project is economically viable because of the current access to 4G communications, modern technological infrastructure, and the economic importance of Varadero,” she said.