May the 14th, 2025 – The gorgeous Istrian city of Rovinj has become part of the wider Smart City network, and its new app has been widely praised.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the City of Rovinj has plenty to boast about in the form of its new Rovinj-Rovigno Direct application. The new app brings a fundamental digital change in the communication of residents with the city authorities. With this move, Rovinj is continuing to modernise and digitise its city services, making them faster, more efficient and more easily accessible. The digital platform is based on the award-winning OneCityApp solution of Hrvatski Telekom (Croatian Telecom) and Combis. It is being co-financed by the Fund for Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency, according to Rovinj’s official website.
The new Rovinj-Rovigno Direct application transforms the way people use city services through three key pieces of innovation. There is centralised access to all city events (from cultural programmes to public works), personalised notifications according to the location and interests of citizens (such as changes in the waste collection schedule or road closures), and the ability to pay certain bills. There’s even the option to engage in a direct chat with the Rovinj city services, which then eliminates the need for phone calls or personal visits to counters.
“By implementing and putting into full functionality the Rovinj-Rovigno Direct application, our city has become even more technologically advanced. With this, we haven’t only managed to simplify communication with city services, we’ve also made it more transparent, quicker and more efficient. We’ve also provided the people of Rovinj with a platform that makes their daily lives easier and services, and it’s all available in the palm of their hand,” said the mayor of Rovinj, Dr. Marko Paliaga.
As Rovinj becomes part of the wider Smart City network, the technology in place becomes more advanced. This new app can be used in two ways. The first is that it is the main tool of communication with the city, which requires registration through the e-Citizens (e-Gradjani) system (NIAS) to access full functionality, including bill payment and secure communication with the city administration. It can also be used as a source of information about events, which doesn’t require any sort of registration. The app is available for download via the Google Play store and the App Store. All of the above makes Rovinj an official member of the Smart City network which uses digital tools to create more accessible and transparent governance at the service of the public.
“Digitalisation is an indispensable step in building modern urban environments. The OneCityApp is an innovative solution that enables more efficient resource management, reduces operating costs and, most importantly, increases quality of life. Rovinj has recognised the benefits of the digital transformation and joined the Smart City network that already implements this solution. We’re extremely proud that this app is currently being used by more than 35,000 active users. 91% of them point out that it provides them with real value,” concluded Marijana Bačić of Hrvatski Telekom, who is also the director of Combis.
