Being smart: Emerging technologies and innovation in the public sector

a r t i c l e i n f o Keywords: Smart government Smart cities Smart governance Governance infrastructure Emergent technologies Innovation Smart government is used to characterize activities that creatively invest in emergent technologies coupled with innovative strategies to achieve more agile and resilient government structures and governance infrastructures. However, there is no consensus in terms of what this term includes and how it is related to emergent technologies and innovation in the public sector. This introductory paper provides readers with ways to think about smart government and summarizes findings from twelve articles included in this special issue. These articles, which are the best papers of the 6th International Conference on the Theory and Practice of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV2012), contribute to emerging understanding of being smart in government settings. The articles span a great diversity of related topics such as smart cities, open government, and participation mechanisms. Collectively , the articles provide perspectives on the nature of smart governments and illustrate exemplar practices and initiatives on how governments are opening up and transforming service delivery to become smarter. The special issue in its entirety contributes to understanding governance structures, technical infrastructures, and other requirements geared toward supporting the operations of smarter governments around the world. A smart thermostat learns personal energy usage habits and automatically adjusts home heating and cooling systems to save money over time (Crist & Wollerton, 2013), a smart umbrella is equipped with a sensor that detects raindrops falling and then sends the data via a cell phone to a computer network (Amos, 2014), and a smart watch monitors steps, heart rates, and caloric intake, providing person-alized fitness and health profiles while enabling people to connect through social media and networks to make better choices and stay motivated (Fromm, 2014). These are just a few examples that represent the ways emerging technologies, nanotechnologies, and innovations are changing how we live, work, and spend our leisure time. They also influence, to a certain degree, citizens' expectations about how government should improve health care, deal with climate change, provide unemployment benefits, manage public works, or educate our children. Marketers and product developers are betting that individuals want individualized attention and also want access to people like them to share information with while they are on the go. While this may be an idealized version of what the future might look like, versions of this kind of reality …