Latest news with #SeoulSmartCityPrize
Zawya
09-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Global Experts unite at AIM Congress 2025 to shape the future of smart cities and sustainable urban development
Abu Dhabi – A distinguished gathering of global leaders, innovators, and policymakers convened at this year's AIM Congress, where they explored the transformative role of technology in advancing sustainable and human-centric urban development. The event brought together trailblazers from the public and private sectors, multilateral organizations, and academia, offering strategic insights into building the smart, resilient cities of tomorrow. A major highlight of the conference was the ' Sm art Cities and Human-Centric Innovation' session, which featured powerful insights on urban transformation: Akram Awad, Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), shared his expertise as BCG's Global Lead for Smart Cities, emphasizing the importance of people-centered strategies in the Middle East's urban evolution. Amy Marie Hochadel, Vice President of Urban Lab at Expo City Dubai, highlighted innovative governance models that place local authorities at the heart of urban innovation. Dr. Ahmad Alnafessah, Smart City Advisor at the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), presented cutting-edge use cases of AI, big data, and digital twins in powering Saudi Arabia's smart city agenda. Edlam Yemeru, Acting Director of External Relations, Strategy, Knowledge & Innovation at UN-Habitat, reflected on two decades of shaping sustainable urban policies across Africa and beyond. Eunbyul Cho, Head of Program Department at the WeGO Secretariat, showcased global smart city programs and the impact of initiatives such as the Seoul Smart City Prize. Hazem Galal, Partner and Global Leader for Cities & Local Government at PwC, offered a strategic overview of smart mobility, sustainability, and competitiveness across 40+ urban markets. Isabel Shirin Enyonam Wetzel, Programme Management Officer at UN-Habitat's Innovation Unit, spoke on leveraging climate-smart technologies and innovation to drive inclusive economic growth. Safder Nazir, SVP Public Sector at Huawei Technologies, discussed digital infrastructure's role in enabling city-wide innovation, with a focus on Huawei's Net Zero Campus initiative. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), emphasized the central role of renewables in creating future-ready, sustainable urban environments. Presentation Highlight: Visionary Architects of Sustainable Investment Dmitry Kaminskiy, General Partner at Deep Knowledge Group, led a thought-provoking session on frontier technologies—including Longevity, DeepTech, and AI—and their impact on reshaping infrastructure and urban investment in the era of the 5th Industrial Revolution. Fireside Chat: The Game-Changing Impact of 5G on Next-Gen Cities A dynamic fireside chat explored how 5G is redefining urban connectivity, governance, and service delivery: Jawad Abbassi, Head of MENA at GSMA, shared insights on regional 5G readiness and the evolution of mobile infrastructure. Omar Radaideh, Head of Government Projects at KQTel, discussed regulatory alignment and policy support for advanced digital technologies in the UAE. Pritam Goyal, Principal Program Manager – Data Center Infrastructure Strategy, APAC at Microsoft, outlined Microsoft's data infrastructure strategies that support smart city scalability and sustainability. Leadership in Action: Government and Industry Perspectives The event also spotlighted influential leaders shaping national and regional development: Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State, Nigeria, presented his administration's urban renewal agenda, which focuses on youth empowerment and grassroots-led economic revitalization. Hakan Ozdemir, CEO of Smart Infrastructure Middle East at Siemens, demonstrated how AI, automation, and cybersecurity are transforming digital cities. Khaled Hashim, President of Honeywell International Middle East Ltd., emphasized infrastructure modernization and energy transition strategies, sharing insights from his cross-sector leadership experience.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seoul Opens Applications for 3rd Seoul Smart City Prize to Recognize Global Smart City Champions
Seoul calls for outstanding smart-city innovation projects from around the world until May 30th A total of 21 prizes in three categories: Projects (Human-Centered & Technological Innovation Projects), Leadership, and Special Mention. Awards ceremony to be held in conjunction with Smart Life Week (SLW) 2025 from September 30 to October 1, with international mayors and experts in attendance Winners will gain opportunities for international promotion, including exhibitions and capacity-building programs SEOUL, South Korea, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has announced that applications for the 3rd Seoul Smart City Prize are open until May 30. The competition is open to city governments, institutions, corporations, and individuals worldwide to recognize outstanding smart city innovation policies. Now in its third year, the Seoul Smart City Prize was established in 2023 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO). Leveraging Seoul's world-class digital government capabilities, the award aims to present a vision for the future of smart cities and promote the global adoption of smart-city ideas. In the first competition in 2023, 240 entries were submitted from 93 cities across 47 countries, including Los Angeles (USA), Madrid (Spain), and São Paulo (Brazil). Last year, a total of 216 projects incorporating various innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Digital Twins were submitted by 123 cities from 58 countries, including London (UK), Helsinki (Finland), and Abu Dhabi (UAE). Last year's winners: the gold prize was awarded to two projects — 'BIAG', a health governance system from Baguio, Philippines, and 'Improving the School System through Digital Transformation' from Reykjavik, Iceland. This year's competition features a total of 21 awards across three main categories: Projects, Leadership, and Special Mention. Specifically, there are 16 awards in the Project category (8 for human-centered projects and 8 for technological innovation projects), 2 awards in the Leadership category, and 3 awards in the Special Mention category. PRIZE CATEGORY Human-Centered: Projects that are designed to prioritize digital inclusion in smart city development, thereby overcoming or mitigating the digital divide, and that aim to serve specific target groups among the citizen population, such as the elderly, youth, and the disabled. Tech-Innovation: Projects that focus on integration of innovative policies and technologies in all sectors of society and domains ranging from mobility, safety, welfare, environment, energy, culture and governance. Leadership: Individuals that have demonstrated leadership in developing or promoting the innovative use of technology and data to impact the lives of global citizens. Special Mention: Projects selected together with a partner organization or corporation of WeGO on the basis of the project's alignment with the values and missions of the partner organization or corporation. Applications must be submitted by May 30, 2025, through the official Seoul Smart City Prize website ( More information on the application process, evaluation criteria, and other relevant details is available in the Seoul Smart City Prize 2025 Guidelines on the website. The awards ceremony will take place on September 30 at COEX, in conjunction with Smart Life Week (SLW) 2025. Approximately 300 participants, including mayors from around the world, experts, and scholars, are expected to attend the ceremony, making it a key platform for sharing excellent smart-city projects and facilitating policy exchange. Winning cities will receive various benefits and support to enhance their global reputation and promote their best practices worldwide. The benefits include a dedicated exhibition booth at the SLW International City Pavilion and access to a smart city capacity-building program. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Seoul Metropolitan Government Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Seoul Opens Applications for 3rd Seoul Smart City Prize to Recognize Global Smart City Champions
Seoul calls for outstanding smart-city innovation projects from around the world until May 30th A total of 21 prizes in three categories: Projects (Human-Centered & Technological Innovation Projects), Leadership, and Special Mention. Awards ceremony to be held in conjunction with Smart Life Week (SLW) 2025 from September 30 to October 1, with international mayors and experts in attendance Winners will gain opportunities for international promotion, including exhibitions and capacity-building programs SEOUL, South Korea, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) has announced that applications for the 3rd Seoul Smart City Prize are open until May 30. The competition is open to city governments, institutions, corporations, and individuals worldwide to recognize outstanding smart city innovation policies. Now in its third year, the Seoul Smart City Prize was established in 2023 by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in collaboration with the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO). Leveraging Seoul's world-class digital government capabilities, the award aims to present a vision for the future of smart cities and promote the global adoption of smart-city ideas. In the first competition in 2023, 240 entries were submitted from 93 cities across 47 countries, including Los Angeles (USA), Madrid (Spain), and São Paulo (Brazil). Last year, a total of 216 projects incorporating various innovative technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Digital Twins were submitted by 123 cities from 58 countries, including London (UK), Helsinki (Finland), and Abu Dhabi (UAE). Last year's winners: the gold prize was awarded to two projects — 'BIAG', a health governance system from Baguio, Philippines, and 'Improving the School System through Digital Transformation' from Reykjavik, Iceland. This year's competition features a total of 21 awards across three main categories: Projects, Leadership, and Special Mention. Specifically, there are 16 awards in the Project category (8 for human-centered projects and 8 for technological innovation projects), 2 awards in the Leadership category, and 3 awards in the Special Mention category. PRIZE CATEGORY Human-Centered: Projects that are designed to prioritize digital inclusion in smart city development, thereby overcoming or mitigating the digital divide, and that aim to serve specific target groups among the citizen population, such as the elderly, youth, and the disabled. Tech-Innovation: Projects that focus on integration of innovative policies and technologies in all sectors of society and domains ranging from mobility, safety, welfare, environment, energy, culture and governance. Leadership: Individuals that have demonstrated leadership in developing or promoting the innovative use of technology and data to impact the lives of global citizens. Special Mention: Projects selected together with a partner organization or corporation of WeGO on the basis of the project's alignment with the values and missions of the partner organization or corporation. Applications must be submitted by May 30, 2025, through the official Seoul Smart City Prize website ( More information on the application process, evaluation criteria, and other relevant details is available in the Seoul Smart City Prize 2025 Guidelines on the website. The awards ceremony will take place on September 30 at COEX, in conjunction with Smart Life Week (SLW) 2025. Approximately 300 participants, including mayors from around the world, experts, and scholars, are expected to attend the ceremony, making it a key platform for sharing excellent smart-city projects and facilitating policy exchange. Winning cities will receive various benefits and support to enhance their global reputation and promote their best practices worldwide. The benefits include a dedicated exhibition booth at the SLW International City Pavilion and access to a smart city capacity-building program. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Seoul Metropolitan Government Sign in to access your portfolio
