The Municipality of Chania received an important award at the BITE Awards 2025, winning the Silver Award in the Most Innovative ICT Project category for the project “Smart Access Control System at the Venetian Port of Chania”, which was implemented in collaboration with COSMOTE TELEKOM. The award ceremony took place on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, within the framework of the institution under the auspices of the Ministry of Digital Governance and the Hellenic Transport and Infrastructure Authority.
The project includes the installation of submersible hydraulic bars at key points in the Old Town and the Venetian Port, with the aim of controlling vehicle access, protecting the historical fabric and improving the daily lives of residents and visitors. The funding came from the Recovery and Resilience Fund “Greece 2.0”, with resources from the European Union – NextGenerationEU, within the framework of the “Greek Smart Cities” operation.
The Mayor of Chania, Panagiotis Simandirakis, stated: “This specific project offers substantial benefits for the city, ensuring safer and more organized traffic in the Old Town and the Venetian Port. At the same time, it protects the monument and the public space, improves the service for residents, professionals and emergency vehicles, while also creating a reliable database for evidence-based urban policy”.
For his part, the Deputy Mayor for Digital Transformation, Tasos Aloglou, noted: “The distinction recognizes our determination to protect the most emblematic space of the city, utilizing smart technologies for the benefit of all.”
