The Smart Cities Council is coming to A/NZ and will be releasing a ‘Readiness Guide’ for the region.
Adam Beck will be the founding executive director for the region. He was previously the director of innovation at EcoDistricts, and was also the executive director at the Green Building Council of Australia.
Smart Cities Council global chairman, Jesse Berst, said launching the council in A/NZ was the next step in the region’s contribution to solving problems of climate change and deliver economic development.
“Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand has been positioned as a market accelerator and advisor. Through advocacy and action, capacity building and knowledge sharing, we hope to shape a common language for the market, and support projects, policies and plans that harness the benefits of digital technology and intelligent design,” Berst said.
“Beck’s deep knowledge in market transformation practices and sustainable community development will be a significant benefit not only to the Australia New Zealand smart cities market place, but in other regions as well.”
The first task for the council will be to develop and publish a readiness guide for the region and it will also look at assembling advisory and leadership committees, and collaborate with other organisations.
“The time has come to build on existing successes and unleash the full potential of the smart cities movement here in the region, to apply digital technology and intelligent design practices to build the best cities we can, for our communities to thrive and prosper,” Beck said.
The Council was first launched in the US in 2012 and in 2015, opened a hub in India followed by launches in Europe, Middle East and China.
