The third edition of the International Summit for Smart Cities in North Africa, dubbed the 'North x South Innovation Summit' would be held in Laayoune, Morocco from April 12-14.

Under the High Patronage of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI, Kingdom of Morocco, the summit will focus on building smart cities and intelligent societies through innovation between the Global North and Africa.

In support of United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC), a United Nations-led initiative, and in partnership with L’Agence du Sud, North x South will take an immersive and interactive approach gathering global experts to build tangible lessons and partnerships leading to actionable results.

This edition shifts the focus from raising awareness about smart cities to building global hyperlinked smart societies at the intersection of enterprises, startups, governments, entrepreneurs and citizens.

The goal of the summit is to explore technologies and applications for enterprises, startups, and governmental agencies across Africa and the world.

It will empower participants with tools and experiences to help them execute ideas and inspire collaboration for positive, sustainable impact.

High-level speakers from a broad spectrum of sectors, countries and specialists will attend to share their knowledge and experience with participants.

Speakers will include the Honorary Jerry M. Hultin, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Co-Founder of Global Futures Group; Kari Aina Eik, Co-Chair of U4SSC’s Enhancing Innovation and Participation; and Pape Sambe, Co­Founder of the Global Youth Innovators Network, among many others.

SCI-NA President Kenza Kbabra emphasizes, “The third edition of the International Summit for Smart Cities in North-Africa aims to highlight the new dynamics that His Majesty the King Mohammed VI envisions for the Southern Provinces and as a driving force for Sub-Saharan countries, and position the Kingdom as a world-class leader connecting the Global North and Africa.”

The Summit is designed not only to inspire but to develop a unique experience for participants that will emphasize actionable takeaways to create sustainable, positive impact in their organizations, cities and societies.

Ilias Benjelloun, North x South Innovation Summit Creative Director explains, “The Startup Pitch Garage and DARAJA Accelerator Bootcamp aim to showcase startup innovations from the North and the South, foster relationships between startups and enterprises, and catalyze relationships between global accelerators and incubators to build collaborative bridges.”

Topics during the three-day summit will include in part:

•          Leadership for Smart Societies

•          Governing for Innovation

•          Business Development

•          Funding the Innovation Ecosystem

•          Building Innovation Networks