The Dutch Digitalization Strategy includes a focus on seniors and reduces loneliness, helping to include this education. One of its points that is worth highlighting is the population within the smart city transition (Amsterdam Smart objective of providing modern materials for all primary and City Website, Klup, 2018). secondary teaching to make education more attractive (Dutch Digitalization Strategy, 2018). This illustrates the adaptation of Under a project called VITAMINE (Dutch for “vitamin”), run teaching methods, correlated with a smart city transition, and, by Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS), senior therefore, a more digitalized infrastructure. citizens receive assistance centered on pursuing a fit lifestyle. The project includes a home exercise program for senior The authorities’ aim is to take advantage of higher education citizens (Amsterdam Smart City Website, VITAMINE, 2018). to launch an open-source data hub where teaching content could be openly shared (Dutch Digitalization Strategy, 2018). Finally, TechConnect, a project created in cooperation with This would also promote teacher collaboration. Booking.com, is an action program that offers several initiatives for increasing equal opportunities and diversity in the labor 4.3 Lifelong opportunities market of Amsterdam’s tech sector (Amsterdam Smart City Website, TechConnect, 2018). By making tech training and jobs ASC programs follow the “age-friendly city” concept developed accessible to everyone, over the next four years, it is estimated by the World Health Organization, which aims to promote that fifty thousand people from underrepresented groups will healthy and active aging and is based on the fact that, join the tech labor market (Amsterdam Smart City Website, “according to United Nations estimates, the number of older TechConnect, 2018). persons (60+) will double from the current 600 million to 1.2 billion by 2025, and again, to 2 billion by 2050” (World Health In 2020, the OECD stated that only two out of five adults in Organization Website, 2020). Therefore, the aim of the age- EU and OECD countries participate in education and training friendly concept is to create an age-friendly Amsterdam for (OECD, 2020). Participation is even lower among low-skilled all groups of older adults and involve them throughout the workers, whose employment is more at risk due to the process of strengthening and streamlining activities related to automation of some jobs (OECD, 2020). This is why ensuring an demographic change and population aging. Older adults are adequate level of education and providing lifelong opportunities invited to participate in projects by cocreating and collaborating are fundamental to consider when a smart city program is alongside professionals. implemented. In Amsterdam, the City Council has started to organize senior 4.4 Business-led job creation citizens’ meetings so that this age group can communicate and debate its views. The main topics covered are (Amsterdam Amsterdam’s creation of its collaborative smart city platform Smart City Website, 2020): seems to have inspired urban development stakeholders in the city. An article from Citego titled “Amsterdam Smart City: •Community and healthcare; The Creation of New Partnerships for a Smart City” shows that • Transportation; Amsterdam’s new governance system for urban city planning, • Housing; which is based on decentralization, partnerships, and citizen •Social participation; participation, has created eight hundred jobs in three years •Respect and social inclusion; (Citego website, 2014). The platform has also contributed to •Civic participation and employment; increasing Amsterdam’s reputation and influence because it •Communication and information. has won smart city awards and attracted more investors in ASC initiatives and startups (Citego website, 2014). This platform In 2016, two pilot projects focusing on including the most also provides a perfect tool for experimentation. vulnerable senior people’s opinions through conducting interviews in each district were initiated (Amsterdam Smart In its 2019 report Employment in Amsterdam’s Tech Ecosystem, City Website, 2020). Dealroom, commissioned by StartupAmsterdam, showed that Amsterdam’s tech and startup sectors “make up 13 percent A social platform for seniors called KLUP is being implemented of the city’s job market, despite tech companies representing in Amsterdam. In response to growing concerns aboutonly 1.4 percent of all companies” (Dealroom report, 2019). The loneliness among old people, the KLUP app connects isolated report also estimates that the sector has created over thirteen 69 Quélin and Smadja | HEC PARIS | SMART CITIES | The sustainable program of six leading cities | 2021