Public procurement of smart city services: an exploration of data protection related ex ante transaction costs

Purpose This paper examines data protection related ex ante transaction costs borne by the private sector in the context of smart city service (SCS) public tendering in the European Union after the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation. This study aims to establish the determinants of ex ante transaction costs related to data protection as well as to determine their relevance toward (tender) competition. Design/methodology/approach A statistical analysis of a survey sample of 72 SCS tender bids. Findings The potential of relationship management to foster more private sector investment in data protection for SCSs is established, i.e. stronger ties between parties lead to higher private sector investment. Furthermore, it is found that investing more in data protection can further boost both internal capabilities and the organizational reputation of tendering organizations. Finally, the analysis exposes a potential problem concerning the market for data protection originating from the dominant approach concerning SCS tender bid evaluation. Research limitations/implications SCS tender bid evaluation is not perceived by the evaluated companies as having data protection as a (core) component. As a consequence, there is no strong competition in that specific area. To induce the private sector to structurally develop SCSs that can be expected to safeguard the fundamental rights of citizens, a more thorough evaluation of data protection aspects of bids imposes itself. Such an overhaul is likely to demand additional public sector resources and expertise. Originality/value This paper constitutes an early investigation into data protection related ex ante transaction costs borne by private sector actors. Incentives for data protection investment in the context of public procurement procedures are discussed.