The fourth edition of Smart City Expo, to be held on April 17 and 18, 2019 in Casablanca, will focus on artificial intelligence as a key element for the development of the smart city in Africa.
The Smart City Expo will be held in Casablanca, Morocco, from the 17th to the 18th of April 2019 under the theme “Artificial intelligence at the service of citizens.” This is the fourth edition of the event, whose main objective is to present and demystify the economic intelligence topic. For its organisers, Smart City Expo will highlight the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), made available to governments, to improve the quality of urban services and, in turn, the quality of life of citizens.
The main themes to be addressed during this exhibition are: citizen innovation and civic technology, governance and finance, strategic planning and sustainable development, and inclusive cities. In concrete terms, participants will discuss the following topics:
– Urban resilience and territorial sustainability strengthened by AI;
– Strategic urban and territorial planning for social and environmental development;
– Resilience and sustainability of territories, resources and ecosystems;
– Social inclusion and economic opportunities through digital transformation;
– Innovative governance and artificial intelligence for smart cities;
– Accelerating digital transformation: economic and legal tools;
– AI and the co-construction of a smart city;
– Intelligent and contextual infrastructures and environments;
– Co-construction of a city enhanced by artificial intelligence;
– Challenges and opportunities of a data-driven citizen city;
– Artificial intelligence at the service of the citizen’s well-being;
– Smart city by its citizens;
The Thai model in the spotlight
For this edition of Smart City Expo, Bankok, capital of Thailand is the invited city. Morocco wants to build on the successful model of Thai urban development. Defined in the 2013-2032 development plan, this project aims to transform the capital Bankok into a sustainable and pleasant city for its inhabitants. In the same spirit, the country launched the Thailand 4.0 initiative to create at least 100 smart cities before the end of the programme.
The last Smart City Expo, held in 2018, brought together nearly 6,000 participants and 85 speakers. By 2050, nearly 70% of the Moroccan population will live in cities, compared to about 50% today. Casablanca, the economic capital of the Kingdom of Morocco, is home to 5 million inhabitants. For the government, this demographic boom justifies the urgency of moving Moroccan cities to the intelligent model.
Luchelle Feukeng
