Decision Support Systems for Evaluating Technological Innovation Impacts in Smart Cities: The Case of Hydrogen-Based Urban Mobility

The accelerating pace of technological innovation in urban environments calls for robust, systematic approaches to assess its multidimensional impacts on cities. In this context, Decision Support Systems (DSS) play a key role in supporting policymakers, Chief Information Officers (CIOs), and urban planners in evaluating and guiding strategic technological choices. This paper proposes adopting the Smart City framework as a conceptual modeling approach to represent the city as an integrated system, enabling the structured assessment of technological innovations across environmental, economic, social, and infrastructural dimensions within DSS-based analyses. To illustrate a concrete application, the paper examines the introduction of hydrogen-based transportation systems as an innovative energy solution for urban mobility. The analysis investigates the potential impacts of hydrogen adoption on urban energy systems, transportation networks, environmental sustainability, and governance processes. The findings highlight the strategic role of DSS in enabling informed, transparent, and resilient decision-making in smart cities, particularly in the evaluation and governance of complex and emerging technological innovations.