As the world’s population nears 10 billion, it has become more imperative than ever to devise solutions to deal with a myriad of challenges around rapid urbanisation.
Africa and Asia are projected to record bigger population growths.
Such challenges emanating from the world’s population growing by a further 2,5 billion in the coming decades include climate change, refugee crises, traffic congestion and pollution as well as insufficient housing, education and health.
It is against the backdrop of these pressing issues that experts from global technology companies and representatives of governments, municipalities and megacities have converged in Barcelona, Spain for the record edition of Smart City Expo World Congress.
More than 17 000 professional visitors are expected, with over 600 exhibitors, high level representatives from more than 650 cities and over 400 experts and thought leaders will explore solutions over the next three days starting Tuesday.
Notable speakers are drawn from global technology companies such as Huawei Technologies’ Vice President Mr Yu Dong, Systems Applications Products (SAP) Vice President for Digital Government Transformation Chris Atkins, President of Big Data Research Institute of Smart City for Shenzhen Mr Chen Dongping, General Manager for Smart City Solution Dr Zheng Zhibin, Research Director for Navigant Research Dr Eric Woods, Dean of Smart City College and Chief Architect of Smart City Planning at ZTE Mr. Xi Chen and SAP’s director of GTM at Startup Focus Luisa Silva will be among speakers.
Others are the Mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau i Ballano and Energy transition and climate change officer Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB), Gil Lladó Morales.
Africa has representatives from Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, and Uganda.
Fira Barcelona, the city’s trade fair institution, is organising the event.
