Technology is increasingly encompassing more activities and is more present in our daily lives. Since the industrial boom, it has continued to develop to make human life more efficient, to save time and increase productivity, to make our lives easier, and to optimize processes.

On the path toward digital transformation and very much in line with international trends, Old Havana is experimenting with an initiative that empowers residents to manage their own tasks. Located in the heart of the oldest part of the Cuban capital, this project seeks to contribute to the technological ecosystem being promoted in Cuba with ingenuity and a variety of options.

At the helm of the Old Havana Facilitation Office (OFA), its director, Eugenio Fernando Acosta Noy, is proud of the work done in this area and the progress of the leading project that seeks to strengthen a “smart city” through the Digital Self-Service Stations, attached to the City Historian's Office. To this end, key services for citizens and visitors have been gradually digitized, enabling them to resolve some of their issues using electronic means and channels.

Currently, the Digital Self-Service Stations allow online access to numerous procedures at public institutions, from facilities in Havana and several locations in the province of Matanzas. They can be accessed in person or by phone.

It's not just about technological equipment. While its purpose is to promote self-management, its staff is trained to guide and assist people with limited digital skills in carrying out banking, financial, and e-commerce transactions through platforms like Telebanca and Transfermóvil. These services, which we know make life easier, can be challenging for older adults, who need guidance to understand their many features and how to use them.

It's a useful tool. Other benefits include communication with central government agencies and civil registry services. This is in high demand due to the number of procedures carried out there and the possibility of even being served by the President of the Republic.

The ambition is huge. Building a smart city is much more than just an ambitious idea; however, every step counts. In that sense, for now the OFA is a suggestive and novel alternative that fulfills the first premise of putting technologies and innovation at the service of human development because the concept of urbanity makes it closer to people's needs, that's why it offers digital solutions and makes life easier.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff