
ITA & Global Futures Group Partner to Focus on Smart Cities
May 25, 2017Earlier this month, ITA Strategic Partner Global Futures Group (GFG) hosted the 2017 Smart Cities: Powered by People Conference (SCNYC17) in Brooklyn.
This was the first show of its kind to focus on the importance of citizen participation in making cities “smart.” The four-day event brought together global mayors, CTOs, CIOs, civil society organizations, non-profits, the private sector, and thought leaders from around the world for discussions and debates on the key issues confronting modern urban leaders in their efforts to improve the quality of life in their cities.
ITA’s U.S. Commercial Service Office in NYC led a workshop on ITA resources, including market intelligence, programming and counseling, available to support export activities related to Smart City technologies and services. Additionally, the workshop offered an overview of the multitude of different business models available to companies and cities developing Smart City projects.

Global Futures Group kicks off the event with a presentation on “leading cities into the future”.
SCNYC17 covered a broad range of critical topics, including the benefits of cloud technologies in education, public safety, health, transportation, and other modern government services; technology for the disabled; cybersecurity; the use of big data in managing urban assets; fostering innovation through urban labs; harnessing a new creative class through entrepreneurship ecosystems; the future of automation and the impact on employment; urban planning and design to address new methods of commuting and a transient economy; training tech talent for the future.
The development of smarter cities in the United States and around the world opens up global business opportunities for U.S. firms. To learn more about export opportunities in the smart cities area, check out the International Trade Administration’s Smart Cities, Regions, and Communities: Export Opportunities Guide, or connect with our Design & Construction Team