A taxonomic analysis of selected regions of European countries in terms of implementation of Smart City components – a dynamic approach

Purpose: The aim of the study is to: apply synthetic measures as a tool for quantifying the development level of selected Smart City components in European countries and determine the development level of selected Smart City components in European countries by means of the WAP (multivariate comparative analysis) tools. Design/methodology/approach: The study examines the use of the Internet and information and communication technologies selected regions of European countries, with particular attention devoted to the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. Data were drawn from Statistics Poland and Eurostat, taking into account the thematic area of the study and data availability. The first stage of the analysis included the construction of a synthetic variable. The synthetic variable made it possible to compare the level of development of the phenomenon in selected regions in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. Then, a distance matrix was determined. Taking into account the distance matrices from each year, a matrix of intensity indicators was determined for the entire period. Findings: The study examines the use of the Internet and information and communication technologies in the regions of selected European countries. Taxonomic analysis is an effective tool for assessing the influence of factors on selected characteristics of the development of the studied phenomenon. Research limitations/implications: The inability to create a set of comparable statistical data over many years is the main limitation of the analysis. Originality/value: The presented taxonomic analysis of the phenomenon under consideration can be used to compare different objects (countries, provinces, municipalities) or to carry out comparative analysis of other aspects of the issue, and the results of these studies will contribute to further research in this area. Keywords: taxonomic methods, Internet and ICT usage, COVID-19. Category of the paper: Research paper.