Rabat - Participants will include several American, Canadian, and Moroccan organizations, including the Institute for Information Technologies and Societies (IITS) at Université Laval, the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Photonic Innovations, and Al Akhawayn University.
The first International Summit for Smart Cities in North Africa will be held in Ifrane, Morocco on June 9th and 10th.
According to the press release, the Summit will address various themes, including “Smart Cities as a springboard to a thriving economy, the role of ICT in providing access to a better education, digital inclusion, the role of ICT in sustainable development, “smart” resource management and urban planning.
This summit will be an opportunity for Moroccan policymakers to come together to find new and innovative ideas that will help modernize the country and serve as an example to the rest of North Africa.
”We want to bring the inspiration, experience and support needed to allow Morocco and the rest of North Africa to develop their own Smart City model,” says Summit director Kenza Kbabra.
“We believe that it is important to consider the geopolitical context of each region, to engage citizens, and to place them at the heart of the decision-making process in order to avoid implementing a “smart” initiative that, while relevant in another context, would not strictly speaking apply in a Moroccan framework.”
The Summit’s opening remarks will be introduced by Moulay Hafid El Alamay, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Investment and Digital Economy, and will feature Louis A. Zacharilla, co-founder of the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF), Carlo Ratti, director of MIT SENSEable City Lab, and Messaddeq Younes, Chairholder of the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Photonic Innovations.
According to the World Bank, North African cities are facing many challenges, from a large youth population to migration. “Studies predict that 50% of Africa’s population will be living in cities in the next 30 years. Therefore, it is urgent that we involve decision makers, intellectuals, scholars and civil society representatives in order to define a common vision for the region. The benefits of technology and innovation are essential to decrease the pressure on resources.”
“Some cities are taking a different stab at ‘smart’. They aim for a better relationship between citizens and governments leveraged by technology, which results in more citizen investment in their neighborhoods. The 1st International Summit for Smart Cities is the beginning of a journey,” Nabil Ocshagour told MWN.
Edited by Jessica Rohan
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