Japan Smart City Week 2013 kicks off with 30,000 participants expected in Yokohama

Smart City Week 2013 kicked off Monday at the Pacifico Yokohama Convention Center and runs until Oct 25. The event features a conference/seminar period as well as an extensive exhibition period Oct 23-25) at the exhibition hall.

Yokohama, as one of the world’s “Smartest” cities, will also feature a special “Yokohama Day” on Wednesday from 1 to 5 p.m. where presentations will be made about how Yokohama City is contributing to international cooperation projects around Asia. The day will also offer a full afternoon of direct business networking with Yokohama based IT, electronics, construction and real estate, manufacturing, and other Yokohama based company representatives.

“It was a great experience last year to be in a huge room full of SMEs and Yokohama based companies eager to make connections and build contacts for a better, smarter world. I was able to make several new contacts with Yokohama City Government reps as well and I look forward to seeing them again at the conference this year,” said Chris O’Halloran of H&R Group, which specializes in turn-key relocation services for companies active in the Japanese market.

Public-Private Partnerships a Central Theme

This year, PPP (public-private partnerships) will take the stage at the International Conference. Sandy Springs City, Georgia (USA) City Manager John F McDonough will discuss incorporation of PPP and how “the city has consistently demonstrated that the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) model is not only effective and efficient, but also builds value for its residents, increases accountability and provides the highest level of customer service in all areas of government services”. This presentation is of great interest to cities in Japan and across the world as they pursue city innovation that achieves both administrative efficiency and citizen satisfaction.

Another feature of this year’s conference is the support and active participation by Papua New Guinea. Currently pursuing its promising LNG energy resource project, PNG is avidly pursuing a road to development that protects its beautiful nature, language (some 841 different languages), virgin forests and diverse culture. PNG joins the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, European Business Council, German Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan , United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and many other eminent organizations that support Smart City Week 2013. The Exhibition Hall will also feature a special robot area to present recent and cutting edge robotic technology for further innovation in cities worldwide.

“I was surprised by the diversity of industry at the exhibition last year. Laser, insulation, building management, IT, EV, local government, the American and German Chambers of Commerce and the European Business Council along with many others were present at the exhibition. It was a great opportunity to build connections with a wide variety of government organizations and private sector firms under one roof, a truly efficient use of my time”, said Takeyoshi Komatsu of Midas Company Limited which helps companies with smart, green and productive office design in Japan and Hong Kong.

Those who want to participate in the exhibition can download a free ticket by clicking registration here. Pre-registration is required for the International Conference which will feature simultaneous Japanese/English interpretation and topics such as Industrial Internet from GE International, a presentation on “Abenomics and Growth Strategies” by former Minister for Internal and Government Affairs and currently Keio University Professor, Heizo Takenaka.

Access information for the event is available here.

© Japan Today