Berlin, November 23, 2023 – FIWARE Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes the adoption of open standards through the use of Open Source technologies for the global development of smart solutions, for the first time, will gather its international network and strategic partners at Smart Cities Connect in Washington D.C., offering a platform to network and collaborate with stakeholders from city administrations, universities, tech players, consultants, system integrators, standardization institutes, and innovation hubs. It also gives FIWARE an opportunity to present solutions based on recognized Open Source technologies for Smart Cities. Over the course of three days (November 28th-30th) FIWARE management and experts will enrich the Smart Cities Connect program by giving presentations, demonstrating references, and showcasing the Smart Cities Book, which includes over 350 real city cases. Additionally, they will run a panel and invite all interested visitors to an Open Source MeetUp with refreshments.

This year, as a Bronze Sponsor of Smart Cities Connect, FIWARE has secured a booth in a prime location alongside its long-term Gold Member, ms.GIS, a leader in geospatial intelligence and IoT technologies for Smart Cities, buildings, energy, and mobility. The FIWARE booth and panel room will serve as the main matchmaking hubs for all FIWARE members and partners operating in North America, including ADDIX, Antel, Atos, AWS, Blue Sky Technologies, Deloitte, Digital Twin Consortium, Elliot Cloud, Engineering, Instituto Ciudades del Futuro, NEC, Nivid Technologies, NTT Data, RedHat, Sysman, Telefónica, Trigyn, Ubiwhere, Urban Integrated [ui!], and Urban Service Provider. These hubs aim to facilitate the creation of new contacts, business opportunities, and collaborations, and will play a significant role in the further adoption of open source technologies in North America’s markets. 

“The US, especially, is a focus market for FIWARE as we can see a strong request from municipalities and urban areas that need to deploy connected technologies and IoT solutions to improve everything from critical infrastructure and public safety, to efficiencies in city lighting and energy usage, or better traffic flow and mobility – all of which stand to make cities better places to live, work, and play while lowering their carbon footprint. Open Source technologies like FIWARE play a pivotal role in creating less costly, innovative, and collaboration-driven platforms, allowing a proper use of standards. FIWARE with its global ecosystem spurs innovation, uniting cities and entities, and opening new business models and growth pathways,” explained Cristina Brandtstetter, Member of the Board of Officers and Chief Marketing Officer, FIWARE Foundation.

Commenting on the future of cities, Cristina Brandtstetter added: “What we can see from increasing urbanization, the need for efficient management of resource utilization, public safety concerns, and increasing demand for an environment with efficient energy utilization, is that it’s the cities with a growing number of citizens who will drive the journey towards a ‘smarter city’. Open Source allows for a fast and impactful co-creation as well as citizen involvement, which is increasingly important in making cities more livable again and resilient for the future”.

Powerful Open Source solutions for Smart Cities – What to expect from FIWARE in the Smart Cities Connect program.

Alongside its partners and members in North America, FIWARE will present a half-day program, and invites city representatives, decision-makers, policymakers, government officials, platform operators, and Smart City enthusiasts to join the panel discussion “FIWARE – The Smart Cities standard running in more than 350 cities worldwide”. This panel will involve distinguished speakers and thought leaders from international organizations including AWS, ms.GIS, Red Hat, Temple University/ENRICH Program, and Urban Integrated [ui!], who will draw upon the experiences of over 350 cities using FIWARE. They will share their vision and ideas to support US cities and communities with practical solutions, as well as discuss some of the biggest current challenges facing smart cities:

• How smart city projects can respond to the challenges of developing cities and territories.
• How cities can evolve from just being more efficient to becoming platforms for growth and well-being (the ‘City as a platform’ concept).
• The necessity for open “de facto” standards for cities and/or regions, and the importance of putting them at the forefront of innovation.
• The correlation between standards and sustainability.
• The benefits derived from the existence of a Digital Single Market at a global scale, contributing to the creation of a better world where citizens can improve their daily lives and businesses can operate more efficiently.

Urban Sustainability MeetUp (Nov 29, from 3 PM, with a joint refreshment): Transforming Cities with the Power of Open Source – Join us for a dynamic dialogue featuring representatives from the ENRICH Program, Open Solutions For Government, Topio Networks, and FIWARE iHubs such as Nivid Technologies (Virginia), Smarta Byar Smart Village Community (Boston), and Urban Service Provider Co (Miami). Innovators, individuals, and change-makers from both public administrations and businesses are invited to participate in exploring and sharing insights at the intersection of sustainable cities. The experts, along with all interested participants, will discuss how open source approaches, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), and digital twins enable cities to collaborate in addressing common challenges, and  build more sustainable, resilient, and connected communities. 

During the MeetUp, a FIWARE team will give further insights into Open Source and AI-based projects currently underway in Smart Cities around the world. These projects range from efficient energy management to public transport optimization, and demonstrate the transformative potential of Open Source and AI driving the evolution of cities. The goal of the MeetUp will be to foster dynamic conversations in small groups to discuss challenges, successes, and strategies for creating resilient and sustainable cities. 

FIWARE panel discussion: November 29, 2:10 PM – 3 PM, room: Annapolis 1.
MeetUp: November 29, 3 PM – 5 PM, room: Annapolis 1.

For more information, please visit the official FIWARE website. You can also watch FIWARE’s and mg.GIS’s video invitation (available on YouTube video with a free download) and stop by the FIWARE booth from November 28th-30th at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center, Washington DC, Booth No. 316.