Countdown begins for Smart Cities Week Australia

There are only days left until Smart Cities Week Australia brings together more than 350 speakers, attendees and delegates from over 20 countries to share knowledge, learn and network with peers.

Among the international line-up of speakers is Australia’s newly minted Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population, the Hon Alan Tudge MP, who will take part in the Day 1 open plenary session to share his vision for smart, connected cities.

Other policymakers and practitioners sharing their expertise include:

• Anthony Sardella, CEO at Washington DC-based evolve24, a leader in decision science and predictive analytics, will be sharing world-leading applications of social wellbeing measurement and smart cities investment.
• Hanna Niemi-Hugaerts, Program Director at Forum Virium Helsinki, will talk about the city’s IoT efforts to help make Helsinki the most functional smart city in the world.
• Frith Tweedie, Digital Law Leader at EY based in New Zealand, will be sharing her experience in data privacy issues in digital initiatives, including the privacy implications of data analytics, data sharing, cloud storage and data monetisation initiatives.
• Dr Mark Bew, Chairman of PCSG and Strategic Advisor to the UK Centre for Digital Built Britain, is a global leader in the advancement of social outcomes through the digital transformation of the built environment, which he will be discussing in his boardroom session.
   

Boardroom discussions will also cover topics such as ‘Tech and Data for Good: Social impact as a lens for smart cities investment’ and ‘Innovation Districts: Do we know what we are talking about?’ Interactive masterclasses and labs for Disruptive Utilities, IoT Strategy, Data 101 and Smart Places and Spaces are also offered for those looking to work on their strategy.

Smart cities leaders will be recognised for their work across a number of categories at the Smart Cities Awards, including Social Impact, Research and Innovation and Leadership City. For the latter, Brisbane, Adelaide, Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast and Canterbury-Bankstown have been named as finalists. All winners will be announced on 30 October.

“Awards programs such as this are vital in assisting with communication to industry and even more broadly to the community. These awards will help to articulate what activities are occurring, how they’ve taken place, what they are aiming to achieve and what ‘good’ looks like,” said David Singleton AM, Smart City Awards jury chair.

From a showcase stage, to leadership circle sessions, to a property technology breakfast, the diverse range of topics and experiences at Smart Cities Week will help shape a dialogue and build opportunities to create better, smarter cities.

The event, by Smart Cities Council, will be held 29–31 October in Sydney. To register, click here.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/apinan