Foreword

Smart City Expo World Congress will open its doors from November 7th to 9th. Being the leading global event focused on urban innovation, it represents a great opportunity to highlight the French know-how in sectors such as infrastructure and building, urban planning, transportation or energy generation and saving.

Cities’ development highlight most of our societies’ stakes such as social and environmental issues as well as governance. Besides, the challenges from demographic growth and growing urbanization generate significant needs for investments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. By 2050, 68% of the world’s population will live in urban areas and cities and will be responsible for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions as well as 78% of energy consumption.

All regions of the world have to rise up to their specific challenges and adapt their infrastructures to provide their populations with good living conditions and prevent urban areas from becoming an aggravating factor for poverty and inequalities.

The cities’ demand focuses on four essential services: water and sanitation, energy, waste management and urban transportation. Moreover, increasing access to services through digitalization and the development of smart cities are a priority to make urban areas more inclusive and sustainable. This progression is also crucial to place citizens at the heart of cities’ development. Our common duty is also to help each citizen become a “smart citizen”.

France is home to leading companies in all these areas and will be well-represented during the event. These companies’ field of expertise encompass all urban development sub-sectors and the entire value-chain from planification to operation and maintenance.

French companies prioritize the adaptation to local situations and know how to place the population as well as local partners at the center of urban ecosystems.

The French Pavilion will host this year more than 65 companies. The French offer will also be represented during a round table session organized on the Central Plaza of the exhibition on November the 8th, at 10.30am.

I invite you to visit the French Pavilion – Hall 2 Booth E60-G – to discover France’s wide range of smart city solutions and meet with French experts to discuss your projects.