Thanks to the partnership between ACR+ and the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), a representative of ACR+ member AMIU could benefit from a free ticket to attend the 2019 edition of the Congress which took place in Barcelona. Over one thousand exhibitors, hundreds of speakers and +24,000 participants joined this 9th edition, organised under the theme “Cities made of dreams”. They all shared knowledge and innovations to make every single city smart and, above all, pleasant to live in, focusing on five pressing issues facing cities: digital transformation, urban environment, mobility, governance and finance, and inclusive and sharing cities. Following her participation, Rachele Miscioscia shares with us a report on the event:
"This year the 9th edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress took place in Barcelona, a thriving European Smart City capital that is investing energy and resources to make its urban spaces livable and inclusive for all. The 2019 edition has brought together technology industries, policymakers and entrepreneurs to engage in dynamic actions and focus on five main tracks touching on the most pressing issues facing cities: digital transformation, urban environment, mobility, governance & finance, and inclusive & sharing cities. Over 1000 exhibitors and hundreds of speakers have shared with the +24,000 participants their knowledge and innovations to make every single city smart and, above all, pleasant to live in.
The theme linking the three-day Expo was “Cities made of dreams” as we need dreamers to keep on thinking of a smart urban revolution in order to achieve green, livable and inclusive cities. The transformation that cities have undertaken until today has proven that urban spaces can do much to cut their environmental footprint, however, we need to work much more for our cities to combine economic growth, environmental sustainability and social inclusivity. The past years have seen the smart city project shift its focus from technological innovation to technology serving all people and fostering social inclusion. For this reason, this year’s awards have been given to cities and innovations that serve citizens and provide solutions to enhance the inclusivity of urban spaces.
The 2019 Smart City winner is the City of Stockholm (Sweden) for being a smart and connected city which promotes an inclusive, sustainable and thriving environment for both citizens and businesses. Sweden promotes ecologically and socially sustainable solutions that respond to necessities regarding climate and energy, mobility, digitalization, urban planning and social inclusion. On the Swedens’ Smart City Platform you can read about all the best practices that Sweden is carrying out.
Other worth mentioning cities are the city of Bristol (UK), Curitiba (Brazil), Montevideo (Uruguay), Seoul (Republic of Korea) and Tehran (Iran) for their dedication in applying technologies to foster social inclusion.
This year the “Innovative Idea Award” was given to FCC Environment, a leading waste management company that operates in the UK, for developing a self-supporting modular lorry chassis with permanent electric traction suitable to all urban service purposes. Other amazing innovations include Dubai’s self-driving transport strategy, DHL’s digital supply chain for smart logistics and warehouse management and Bishkek’s city (Kyrgyzstan) application of city dashboards as tools for civic monitoring for municipal services performances and civic engagement in urban development."