Deloitte holds New Champions breakfast event on smart city strategies for the future

At the meeting, guests discussed the vision of smart cities and explored how to balance technologies with the needs of citizens. They proposed a human-centric approach and the application of advanced technologies including information and communication technology, big data analysis, AI and IoT. It’s all about achieving intelligent and efficient urban management and services—while improving the wellbeing of citizens.

Dozens of guests from government bodies, research institutions, and leaders in various sectors including auto, tech and finance participated, exchanging ideas on the future of smart cities. This event was also attended by the Vice Mayor of Tianjin, YANG Bing, and also commission, office and bureau leaders from different departments of the Tianjin municipal government including the Director of Tianjin Commission of Commerce, Sun Jiannan.

The Deloitte AMNC delegates that attended were, China CEO, Patrick Tsang, China Deputy CEO, Dora Liu, AP Chief Strategy & Innovation Officer, Thierry Delmarcelle, Japan Chair, Haruko Nagayama, China Societal Impact Leader, Alan Wang, and Fumikazu Kitagawa, Japan core business Operation – Industry Solution Leader and WEF Smart Cities Project Leader. Deloitte’s China Government & Public Services Leader, Clare Ma, presided over the breakfast meeting.

Clare Ma, China Government & Public Services Leader, Deloitte

Patrick kicked off the meeting by sharing Deloitte’s insights into the future of smart cities. Smart city building is no longer limited to the integration of technologies and data, but increasingly driven by the needs of market scenarios with infrastructure designed to meet public demands.

We should apply a human-centric approach to smart city development, committed to improving public services and meeting public demands. Smart cities in the future will focus more closely on low-carbon, green transformation towards sustainability, building an efficient, safe, harmonious, humane and sustainable urban system.

Patrick Tsang, China CEO, Deloitte

As one of the keynote speakers, the Vice Mayor of Tianjin, YANG Bing, appreciated and acknowledged Deloitte's continued support for Tianjin's development and thought highly of the theme activities held by Deloitte during AMNC for more than ten years.

In addition, Mr. Yang introduced Tianjin’s smart city development status quo and strategies for the future. Building a smart Tianjin has been incorporated by Tianjin Municipal Party Committee and the municipal government into the city’s priorities during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period.

Tianjin has strived towards this objective by implementing “ten actions”, building a high-level “digital Tianjin”, shaping new life service models, promoting intelligent urban operation, and establishing a delicacy urban governance system. Mr. Yang encouraged entrepreneurs to participate in the smart city development of Tianjin, which he believed will create substantial opportunities for enterprises.

Vice Mayor of Tianjin, YANG Bing

Vivian Brady-Phillips, the Head of Strategic Initiatives for Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum moderated a panel with Yoo Jeong-Bok, the Mayor of Incheon, Korea, Koh Cha-Ly, CEO of Urbanmetry, and Fumikazu Kitagawa, Deloitte’s WEF Smart Cities Project lead and Japan’s Core Business Operation -Industry Solution Leader. The panel discussed best smart city practices in their respective countries, elaborating on challenges and opportunities for building smart cities from different professional perspectives.

Panel discussion

In closing remarks, Deloitte Japan Chair, Haruko Nagayama summarized the importance of cooperation between the public and private sectors in building smart cities and highlighted the role of data and technologies in shaping the future smart cities. All these factors together will create more intelligent and sustainable cities and authentically improve citizens’ life experience.

Haruko Nagayama, Deloitte Japan Chair

As a pioneer in smart cities, Deloitte has long-standing experience in this field, continuously tracking different countries’ indexes, domestic cities’ characteristics and future plans and providing end-to-end services in smart city building and operation. As a responsible professional services organization, we will work with other stakeholders to build sustainable cities with higher quality.