Smart People sebagai Indikator Akselerasi Implementasi Smart City di Kota Kupang

The development of Kupang Smart City cannot be separated from the aspect of smart people who act as promoters of new innovation creation and urban development. Essentially, the starting point for implementing smart city initiatives in Kupang differs from other major cities; the main challenge lies in human resources. This research aims to explore the role and effectiveness of smart people, as well as the collaborative efforts of the pentahelix, in accelerating the implementation of smart city initiatives in Kupang. This qualitative descriptive study employs both literature review and field study methods. The findings indicate that the role of smart people is crucial in realizing the vision of Kupang Smart City. They are instrumental in adopting digital technology, providing feedback, and generating new innovations to enhance urban services and infrastructure. Additionally, the pentahelix collaboration plays a vital role in creating holistic and sustainable solutions. However, the role of smart people still needs improvement through motivation, strengthening of digital literacy, digital interaction, and increasing community feedback in the evaluation of Kupang Smart City programs.