Smart City Expo Lands in Bogota to Accelerate Urban Innovation in the Country

From today until Friday, the capital of Colombia is hosting Smart City Expo Bogotá (SCEB), the Latin American country's smart city event. With the participation of more than 70 experts and 60 companies, the event is a platform for sharing ideas, knowledge and solutions to advance the smart and sustainable development promoted in recent years in the region.

Under the slogan "Ciudades que Cuiden, Ciudades que Innoven" (Cities that Care, Cities that Innovate), SCEB, the event organised by Fira de Barcelona with the support of the Mayor's Office of Bogota and the city's Chamber of Commerce, aims to promote cities as catalysts for the connection between the quality of life of their inhabitants and urban innovation.

The event features a congress that highlights the importance of cities as connectors of innovation and revolves around seven themes: Smart Technologies, Urban Mobility, Economic Development, Public Innovation, Energy and Environment, and Sustainable Territories. More than 70 international speakers from around twenty countries are taking part, including Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, the United States, Denmark, Iceland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Uruguay and Chile.

Another of the highlights is the exhibition area with more than 60 exhibitors, including companies, organisations and training centres that will present new technological developments and innovative solutions to improve the quality of life of citizens and promote a more inclusive and sustainable society.

In order to promote the region as a reference in the debate on urban innovation, the Mayor's Office of Bogotá has created awards for the best initiatives in smart cities that will distinguish projects in eight categories: leadership in innovation, both in the public and private sectors; innovation from nature; innovation from urban design; innovation from citizens; innovation from the market; innovation from technology; and smart culture.

Also, as a parallel event, on 2 June, FestiBO, the Bogota Public Innovation Festival, an initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies, will bring together more than 20 national and international experts in urban innovation who will give talks and workshops open to the public.

Fira crosses borders

Smart City Expo Bogota is part of the international action of Fira de Barcelona, which this year is holding 8 shows around the world. Seven of these are international editions of Smart City Expo World Congress, the world's leading urban innovation show: Smart City Expo Curitiba (Brazil), Smart City Expo Latam Congress (Mexico), Smart City Expo Santiago del Estero (Argentina), Smart City Expo USA, Smart City Expo Doha, and Smart City Expo Shanghai (China), together with HostelCuba, the hospitality show held in Havana.

Since last year, the Barcelona-based trade fair institution has also been managing the Chinese venues of Nanchang and Xuzhou, which in 2023 will host 71 trade fairs and congresses.

All of this is part of the international expansion strategy initiated by Fira de Barcelona, aimed at contributing to the internationalisation of Spanish and Catalan companies and contributing its organisational experience.