Marbella is becoming more and more technological

23rd June 2023 · 6 min. read

Cities, if they want to provide a good service, have no choice but to adapt to the new times. Marbella is becoming more and more technological, in its infrastructure and its philosophy. In fact, the town hall has had a plan in place for several years to move forward in this direction.

For those who think that Marbella is only sun, beach, fun, gastronomy, high quality schools, paddle tennis and golf… this post is for you. This way, you will also see that Marbella has e-government, tele-working and co-working areas, ultra-domotic housing, smart tourism, anti-pollution transport, and other significant aspects in its evolution towards digital and sustainable living.

The city began to embrace innovation and new technologies more than a decade ago and is continually updating itself. So, let’s take a look at some of the aspects in which Marbella is progressing or leading the way.

Let’s get started!

There are now more than fifty electric car charging points in Marbella. Of course, there are many more all over the Costa del Sol as well. The best way to be well-informed about their location and availability is to download the Electromaps application, which is available on both Google Play and Apple Store. This app can indicate more than 250,000 recharging points in Europe. It comes in very handy when you find yourself with a battery starting to run low on the road.

This world of the electric or hybrid engine has even reached builders on the Costa del Sol. The most forward-thinking are already joining the movement for energy efficiency through electric mobility. One example is the developer AEDAS Homes and its collaboration with the Activacar company. The two have reached an agreement to offer one of Spain’s first residential electric car sharing services for homeowners. It is a carsharing system in the station base format, i.e. the vehicles start and end their journey at the same location. A fleet of half a dozen vehicles are available to residents of the development. This way, they have an extra vehicle or simply the option of not renting one while they are here.

This innovative system is in the SUNSET development in the beautiful area of Marbella East. Cars can be booked by the hour or by the day using a convenient mobile app. The development also has e-bikes that are ideal for getting to the beautiful beaches, mountain routes or along the Coastal Path (Senda Litoral).

Continuing its commitment to cycling, Marbella already has more than 10 kilometres of cycle lanes, and these will be increased in coming years. The municipality’s politicians have understood that this healthy, sustainable, and Co2-reducing vehicle is of vital importance. Although other cities such as Málaga are certainly more developed in this respect, great efforts have been made in recent years and residents and tourists have been very appreciative.

In addition, classic bicycle racks have been installed throughout the city, and there are also some very innovative additions: the smart bike racks. As well as parking the bike, the cyclist can store their helmet and personal belongings, simply by paying a fee via the Novality APP. This model of storage for cyclists is a real pioneer in Spain. So far, these parking spaces have been installed at the Municipal Library and the Official Language School, but more are planned in other parts of the municipality.

Among the measures for a Marbella which is increasingly technological and energy-efficient, one of the most popular has been to reduce pollution and the agglomeration of vehicles by encouraging the use of city buses. For some years now, these have been free of charge for registered residents, if they renew their card annually. A large part of the city’s lighting has also been replaced by LED systems for substantial energy savings. The same has happened with water consumption. Some of the city’s parks already have smart irrigation systems. And Marbella’s waste recycling record is improving year on year. In 2022 alone it was already up 2% on the previous year.

Marbella is a member of RECI, the Spanish Network of Smart Cities. This is where the roadmap for the implementation of smart city management (always based on sustainability) is set out. Among the measures already in place, we would highlight the deployment of Telecommunication Networks, Fibre Optic, 4G and Wifi in the city to meet European standards. In fact, it is very interesting for businesses to set up in Marbella nowadays and benefit from these systems. For entrepreneurial profiles we have already written a post with tips on how to open a business here.

With this interest in making Marbella more and more technological, it has also become a leading venue for technological congresses. Bitcoin, cybersecurity, start-ups, computer engineering forums at different levels, digital tourism… are topics that are frequently discussed here nowadays, not only in the official Palacio de Congresos, but also in hotels, companies, and institutions such as Andalucia Lab. Let’s not forget that Malaga will soon host a headquarters of the multinational Google like those already in Ireland and Munich. Or that the Andalusia Technology Park is just an hour’s drive from Marbella and more than 650 companies currently operate from there. Finally, it is no less remarkable that in Marbella many administrative procedures can now be carried out online.

And if the city is “smart“, so are the homes. As we already know, a Smart Home, which has home automation systems installed, can be controlled from a mobile phone, computer, or tablet. Aspects such as security, heating, light and sound, blinds – and even what time the dishwasher is put on or food is cooked in the oven – are already available in many of the luxury homes on the Costa del Sol. Some of them are so refined that they are futuristic. One such case is Villa Futura, with its ultra-modern level of digitalisation and sustainability.

As we have said above, Marbella is becoming more and more technological, and its visitors and residents are appreciating it more and more. Whether you are planning to settle here for good or want to find somewhere for a luxury holiday, do not hesitate to contact us.

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And, of course, at C/Velázquez, number 1, in Marbella.