Innovation convention to offer peek at cities of the future

“It is time that the local authorities march forward and adopt innovative technologies that will contribute to efficient and effective management.”

By LIDAR GRAVÉ-LAZI
Updated: JANUARY 18, 2017 23:26
Haim Bibas, chairman of the Union of Local Authorities in Israel and mayor of Modi’in (photo credit: COURTESY UNION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ISRAEL)
Haim Bibas, chairman of the Union of Local Authorities in Israel and mayor of Modi’in
(photo credit: COURTESY UNION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN ISRAEL)
A NIS 3.5 million innovation convention will offer a peek at the technologies and services of futuristic cities next week.
The event, “Muni-Expo Smart Cities in Israel” – run by the Federation of Local Authorities in Israel, in collaboration with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund – is to take place January 24-25 at the Tel Aviv Convention Center.
“Israel is a powerhouse of innovation and hi-tech,” Haim Bibas, chairman of the federation and mayor of Modi’in, said ahead of the expo.
The expo will feature stateof- the-art innovations in city development, education, culture, personal security, accessible technologies and smart infrastructure, innovations that will be available to citizens of smart metropolises in the near future.
Innovative products and enterprises engaged in making cities in Israel smarter, more efficient and more transparent will be unveiled.
“It is time that the local authorities march forward and adopt innovative technologies that will contribute to efficient and effective management,” Bibas said.
Some 120 Israeli companies will feature their advanced technologies at the expo, unveil developments and startups in the field of urban innovation and provide exposure to groundbreaking municipal initiatives and incubators in cities throughout the country.
The advances to be presented range from green screens, USB-connected park benches, and underground garbage cans to groundbreaking applications to software that protects against cyber hacks.
“The fair, from our perspective, is the starting whistle for the process of local government adopting technologies that will benefit the residents and organizations in the city,” Bibas said.
Alongside the fair, 16 professional conferences will tackle innovation across a wide range of issues, including energy conservation policy, education and welfare services of the future, national preparedness in emergencies, and municipal funding.
Business leaders, professionals, academics, foreign dignitaries and government officials – including Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Insp.-Gen. Roni Alsheich – as well as 257 heads of municipalities throughout the country are set to participate in the conferences.