SMART TERRITORIES AND THE FACTORS INVOLVED IN THEIR CONSTITUTION: A SYSTEMATIC REVISION

Abstract

Smart territories encompass both rural and urban areas in diverse integration contexts, making it necessary to know the factors that constitute them to evaluate their applicability in various contexts. The aim of this research was to investigate the factors that influence the formation of smart territories in Latin America. A systematic revision was carried out using the PRISMA declaration guidelines. A search in Dialnet, Redalyc, ResearchGate, Scielo, and Google Scholar produced 18 documents for revision. Articles were found in Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, and Venezuela, and each country considered specific factors relevant to their reality. Regarding the theme of the studies, a significant part of them focused on the conceptualization of what a smart territory is and the identification of the factors involved in their development. Among the factors found, five were frequently mentioned: innovation based on the generation of knowledge, effective governance, identification of the competitive advantages of the territory, active participation of all sectors of society, and the improvement of quality of life for everyone. It was concluded that access to technology and education implementation are both essential in the development of smart territories, along with democracy and good governance.