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ITU/OiER Webinar on "Accelerating the Path to Cities' Digital Transformation"


The concept of digital transformation is increasingly being embraced for driving urban governance, addressing socio-spatial disparities and promoting integrated sustainable development. To support cities in accelerating towards a successful digital transformation, the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC), with the support of 17 United Nations bodies/agencies, has developed the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Smart Sustainable Cities (SSC). This unique set of KPIs provide cities with the mean to conduct self-assessments on their digital strategies and monitor their progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A large number of cities worldwide have implemented the U4SSC’s KPIs for SSC to improve the quality of urban services as well as to adequately facilitate the integration of digital technologies.
  
This webinar shed lights on the smart sustainable city journeys of multiple Norwegian cities and highlighted  the importance of having the means to assess their smart strategies and align them with the SDGs.

The main objective of this webinar was to foster cooperation among SSC at the international level and lay the foundation for city leaders to pilot the U4SSC’s KPIs for SSC. The webinar  also examined the potential of data and digital twins for helping cities to become carbon neutral and more circular, improve urban mobility, and manage their infrastructure in a more secure, sustainable, and cost-effective manner.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Organization for International Economic Relations (OiER) have been working closely through the U4SSC Implementation Programme (U4SSC-IP​) to guide cities in their transitions to SSC.

Participation in the webinar was open to ITU Member States, Sector Members, Associates and Academic Institutions and to any individual from a country that is a member of ITU and who wishes to contribute to the work. This included individuals who are also members of international, regional and national organizations.​

Participation was free of charge.


Watch webinar here​

Programme


​09:30 - 09:40​Opening Remarks
​09:40 - 10:10
​Keynote speech
Questions and Answers
10​​:10 - 11:25
​Session 1: Accelerating Digital Transformation in Norwegian Cities 
Given​ the dynamic nature of cities, it is essential that any smart city measurement tool applied in cities need to cover cross-sectoral domains. Within the U4SSC, a set of dedicated KPIs have been formulated and applied in over 100 cities across the globe, which has facilitated the adoption of emerging technologies across verticals and expedited their journey towards the SDGs.

To highlight the core benefits of monitoring smart city transitions, this session will further elaborate on the importance of equipping cities with a tenable KPI framework and provide a snapshot of the U4SSC Smart City KPI pilot project in key cities in Norway.

Moderator: Kari Eik​, Secretary General, OiER, Leader, U4SSC Implementation Program
Questions and Answers
​11:25 - 11:30​Closing Remarks