The three plenary sessions will look into the role of islands as committed examples of sustainability; islands in a connected world; and change-makers and economic development.
After six years of successful Smart City Expo World Congresses in Barcelona, the island of Majorca will host one that focuses exclusively on islands. It comes at the request of island nations and communities who had wanted to host congresses on technology and innovation, and addresses the unique challenges islands face.
On April 20 and 21, the first edition of the Smart Island World Congress will launch in Calvià, Majorca, with delegates from 150 islands around the world including Bahrain, Bali, Corsica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Trinidad & Tobago.
Among the 85 renowned speakers at the congress will be Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, and one of the most prominent voices in raising global awareness of the threat of climate change, particularly to islands.
Organised by the City of Calvià, the General Council of Majorca and Fira de Barcelona, the Smart Island World Congress also has the support of the government of the Balearic Islands, the World Bank, and UN-Habitat.
This first edition of the Smart Island World Congress is expecting 1,500 visitors and will cover four main themes:
New Connectivities
Urban & Social Development
Talent & Economic Growth
Islands of the Future
The three plenary sessions will look into the role of islands as committed examples of sustainability; islands in a connected world; and change-makers and economic development.
One of the objectives of the Smart Islands Congress, Fira de Barcelona says, is “to present island territories as regions with a high quality of life; demonstrate their leadership in tackling the change of energy model; and showcase the opportunities of becoming connected regions in the global economy through new technologies. In short, a dialogue that shows the importance of islands in the different regions of the world when it comes to considering sustainable human development.”
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