Rabat – WeCasablanca, an initiative dedicated to promoting Casablanca’s assets, has officially announced that the eighth edition of Casablanca Smart City will be held on June 5 and 6, 2024. This year’s theme, “From Smart Citizen to Smart Metropolis,” aims to underline the importance of urban development aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
This year’s event aims to build upon the success of the seventh edition, held in June 2023 under the theme “Smart City: Towards Sustainable Metropolitan Transitions.” The event, which attracted significant attention and participation, recorded a high turnout with over 600 participants and featured 66 speakers.
The event was structured in an agora format, showcasing more than 15 international models of smart city initiatives. Over 50 media outlets covered the event.
The seventh edition also featured a startup village, an open innovation lab, and a scientific university space, with the aim of nurturing innovative ideas. Around 24 young entrepreneurs and startup founders presented their projects related to smart systems, including governance, social and community systems, infrastructure, smart services, ecology, and sustainable development.
A notable highlight was the pitch competition, where 12 startups were selected to present their innovative solutions. Three startups were awarded the “Smart City Casablanca Awards 2023,” including Presta Freedom, Crescents, and Smart Collecte.
The upcoming Casablanca Smart City event will feature an exhibition space designed to foster exchanges and partnerships between local and international actors. In addition, a startup village will be set up to showcase innovative projects by young entrepreneurs in the smart city sector.
This initiative aims to bring together researchers, innovators, and decision-makers to share knowledge, present innovative solutions, and address various urban challenges.
WeCasablanca emphasized in the statement the necessity of developing efficient urban solutions in response to challenges such as land scarcity, water stress, energy consumption, and climate change. The company highlighted the importance of integrating technological approaches with human-centric urban planning and management.
This year’s edition will cover various themes, including e-governance, urban data for smart monitoring, and intelligent citizen management of metropolitan resources. The event will focus on the physical development of infrastructure and services while enhancing human resilience through innovative technologies.
Mohamed Jouahri, General Director of Casablanca Events and Animation, stressed the significance of rethinking the concept of “smartness” in the context of smart cities. “This edition offers a unique opportunity to share knowledge, exchange experiences, and co-create innovative solutions for contemporary urban challenges,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hassan Radoine, director of the School of Architecture at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and President of the Scientific Committee, emphasized the importance of guiding the phenomenon of metropolization in a resilient and sustainable manner. Radoine highlighted the need for continuous monitoring of urban performance to ensure that growth is balanced with environmental impacts.
