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Merge 104.8 | 01 June 2020
Oman’s Smart City Platform is set to host a ‘Smart Cities Without Borders’ symposium from June 10-11, 2020 as part of a ‘Challenges and Opportunities During the COVID-19 Pandemic’ virtual event.
As Oman News Agency (ONA) reports, the Smart City Platform is a digital platform for knowledge exchange and is aimed at driving smart city initiatives in the Sultanate. The platform provides an environment for the exchange of information, cooperation, and communication between stakeholders in smart cities, and works as as an enabler and facilitator for smart city innovations by funding research and organizing events such as hackathons and competitions that encourage innovation in relation to smart cities.
The ‘Smart Cities Without Borders’ symposium was established on the concept that the development of smart cities globally is an urgent requirement globally, as the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the equation towards the use of modern technologies worldwide.
Even those countries that preceded the adoption of smart city projects raised the level of their requirements and needs due to the existence of unexpected new challenges that need to be included in their plans on how to organize and implement the guidelines and frameworks of smart cities.
The ‘Smart Cities Without Borders’ symposium, will see global institutions such as UN-eGov, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) are a few of the many participants.
Dr. Huda Al Shuaily, Chair of the Smart City Platform, said: “The symposium focuses on providing an opportunity for all interested in the fields of smart cities from various countries of the world to exchange experiences in terms of concepts and technologies of smart cities around the world and to highlight the opportunities and challenges posed by the smart cities during the pandemic.”
The virtual event will also target specialized institutions to offer innovations in this field, and encourages researchers, academics, and students to participate in this symposium.
The event will include a group of global speakers interested in concepts and applications of smart cities, as well as a series of interactive sessions presented by experts from different countries of the world and various institutions in the field of smart cities. Fourteen speakers from countries including Oman, the US, UAE, Lebanon, Malaysia, Portugal, Greece, and Italy will participate in the symposium with keynote sessions, as well as four panel discussions.
Regarding the topics, the symposium will focus on several axes, the most important of which are: identifying challenges and opportunities for smart cities resulting from the COVID-19 outcome, highlighting successful models of smart cities around the world, and determining the reasons for their success. The event will also offer participants an opportunity to get acquainted with the latest research and results regarding the effectiveness of smart cities in improving the economy, education, and living standards in society.
Source: ONA
(Also read: Oman: Muscat Municipality cuts fees to help reduce COVID-19 impact on businesses.)
