Networking in Smart Cities: Qualitative Analysis for the Demand-Oriented Development of a Care Platform

Smart Cities are considered to have the potential to improve the quality of life of the population. Besides, they offer numerous opportunities to shape social coexistence in a meaningful way and to network people and organizations within a Smart City, thus also counteracting loneliness to a certain extent. In this context, a care platform could promote exchange in a Smart City, reduce administrative processes in the care sector and contribute to more efficient provision of the limited resources in the health sector. There are already several care platforms in Germany, but none of them have yet been fully implemented. An important factor for the successful implementation of a care platform is the involvement of the people and organizations within a Smart City. The needs of the future users, i.e. people in need of assistance and their relatives, can provide important impulses in the development of the platform so that it provides real added value for the people and is used accordingly. On the other hand, the involvement of the providers, for example, service providers who offer their services on the platform, is also crucial, as this is the only way to create a network. This paper presents the results of qualitative analysis to determine the needs of potential users and providers of a care platform. The results serve as a basis for the further development of the platform.