We are now just a few days away from the 2018 Smart Cities Global Technology & Investment Summit, which will take place on June 27, 28 at the International Conference Center (CIC) in Algiers. A promising summit with an impressive line-up of international speakers and a packed program. To sort it all out, Centrale Digitale offers you a brief summary of all that awaits you during this unique event.

The Main Themes of the Summit

As mentioned, this 48-hour summit is very dense and packed with activities. Obviously, most themes addressed on this occasion will be related to technology and the concept of smart city. Topics such as tech, data and blockchain will be on the agenda. Breakout sessions as well as panels will be devoted to the various problems generated by life in urban environments.

The debate will focus, for example, on « transport and mobility » and solutions to regulate road traffic, a very relevant topic for the city of Algiers. Public-private partnership and the integration of public administrations from a Smart City perspective, Health Tech and the service sector will also be tackled. Further, the invited experts will discuss issues such as the economic sustainability of a smart city project and the difficulties encountered by startups in emerging countries.

Several Competitions Planned

Among the many activities planned on the sidelines of the Smart City Algiers Summit, there are two competitions organized by the CSE (ESI Scientific Club), namely the Leapfrog Hack and the Startup Competition. The first is a hackathon about Leapfrog technologies and their use to solve problems in the context of the smart city. It will spread over three days (June 26th, 27th and 28th) and will take place at the Technological Hub of Algiers (formerly Dounia Parc) specifically designed for the occasion. The second is a competition featuring Algerian startups whose solutions will be presented before a jury composed of investors and key venture capitals from Silicon Valley. They will evaluate the ability of these startups to « solve problems, exploit new technologies and define their strategy. » Registrations for these two competitions are closed since June 21, however those who are interested can still attend the final.

A Packed Program

With more than 200 speakers and over 50 sessions divided into several themes, all happening in just 48 hours, there is no doubt that the organizers aimed big. The 4000 people expected to attend the summit will have to define the themes that interest them beforehand. No less than 8 streams are taking place simultaneously. In addition, exclusive mini-events (private or restricted) will also take place at the same time as the main event. For more details, you can check the whole program on the Smart City Algiers website.

Prestigious Speakers and Stakeholders

As stated above, more than 200 guests will be invited to speak at this summit. Coming from all over the world, they will share with the attendees their expertise in Smart Cities, technology and more.

Speakers include Jonathan Trent, a NASA scientist and professor at the University of California at Santa Cruz, Ian Stone, telecommunications expert, Nizar Jegham, ICT expert, Janet Heckman, executive director of South and East the Mediterranean to the EBRD, Rabih Khoury, an expert in corporate finance, and Rabah Arezki, Chief Economist at the World Bank for the MENA region, the latter will discuss the economic challenges facing the region and ways to overcome them.

On the other hand, Mazlan Abbas, ranked by the 2017 CSR World Congress among the most influential leaders of smart cities and Rajendra Pratap Gupta, professor and public policy specialist will share their knowledge with the audience. You can find the full guest list on the Smart City Algiers website.

Exhibitions

In addition to sessions, panels and other conferences, the summit opens its doors to exhibitors looking for visibility. The latter will benefit from stands, made available free of charge by the Wilaya of Algiers who invited all the startupers wishing to present their projects to register on the website before June 16, 2018. Many of the stands will be booked for Algerian startups while more than 60 exhibitors are expected at the event.

Where to follow the event?

Centrale Digitale will take part in the Smart City Algiers Summit as a media partner. We will provide you with media coverage of this international event. So make sure to follow us on our social media platforms for live content and on our website for in-depth analysis articles.