On the 24th November we hosted our all-digital iKEN live event: Leading a Digital Recovery’

Featuring European City experts from Espoo, Cluj, and Valencia, we explored how data is being utilised across Europe in response to COVID-19 and how the acceleration of investment in data-driven technology will have a long-lasting impact on society, the economy, and the environment. During a time of crisis, the need for innovation has never been greater.

We explored how cities are implementing innovative solutions; harnessing new opportunities for data-driven decision making in order to tackle COVID-19 and mitigate its human and economic impact. We explored how data-driven technology could have a long-lasting impact, helping us to repair, rebuild and re-design a hopeful future for our cities, communities and people.

Our speakers were:

Veera Vihula – Development Consultant – City of Espoo, Mayor’s office.

Veera runs City as a Service projects through which Espoo develops new service models and platforms. The goal is to find new ways to produce services through shared capabilities with the ecosystem.

Cities and their economic systems are a complex network of interconnecting dependencies and the Covid-19 crises has put the system in a state of disruption. To find the roadmap for the recovery and a path to the “new normal”, Espoo in collaboration with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, is using systemic analysis and data-based modelling to support decision-making.

Ovidiu Cîmpean – Director of Local Developement – City Hall of Cluj-Napoca.

Ovidiu is in charge of European funding projects and management of Innovation and Civic Imagination Centre of the city. Ovidiu is passionate about contributing to change in the public sector. Ovidiu also coordinates the local public policy of international competitions for urban development projects that the Municipality organises for all the projectcts that have a big impact on the community life in partnership with the National Architects Association (OAR).

Gema Roig, R&D technician -Las Naves, Valencia

Gema will explain the advances of the city regarding the innovation strategy “Missions València 2030” and next steps for 2021, as well as the capacities and infrastructure of València in its “Smart City Strategy”, and how they relate to city data.

Fernando Prieto – Las Naves, Valencia

Fernando holds a PhD in Ecology from the Autonomous University of Madrid, has worked on environmental issues, sustainability and climate change since 1987. He was an advisor to the Cabinet of the Presidency of the Government, and worked for the central environmental administration, among the 1989 and 1994, he subsequently did environmental consulting in different companies.

The event was chaired by Kimberley Hose, Head of Business Intelligence at Glasgow City Council

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