Regional conference Smart City SEE19 will be held in Belgrade on Thursday, May 23, gathering local, regional, and international experts, decision makers, and innovators to discuss the development of smart cities and their role in delivering a more sustainable future.

The conference will showcase the best examples of smart cities, with the aim of inspiring and encouraging countries of the South East Europe (SEE) region to work on achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and take steps towards more sustainable, greener and better cities for living and investing, according to the event’s website.

It is also aimed at deepening the understanding of opportunities and challenges related to the growth of cities, which already account for nearly 75% of the global energy consumption, according to the organizers.

Sessions to address various aspects of smart cities

The event’s agenda includes plenary sessions on smart energy and grids, e-mobility, smart connectivity, waste management and recycling, and smart building, while the closing session is dedicated to innovation.

Speakers will include professors Nikola Rajaković and Aleksandar Nešković of the Belgrade University’s Faculty of Electrical Engineering (ETF), Darko Levičar from the Automotive Cluster of Slovenia (GIZ ACS), Branko Kovačević, chairman of the supervisory board at state power utility Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) and former ETF dean, and Till Bajohr of the Infrastructure Advisory at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), as well as digital business leaders.

Scheduled to speak at the opening ceremony are Nenad Popović, Minister without portfolio responsible for innovation and technological development, Rasim Ljajić, Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications, Goran Trivan, Minister of Environmental Protection, Zoran Radojičić, Mayor of Belgrade, and Paul Hickey, European Investment Bank’s (EIB) Sector Specialist at the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF).