Japan’s future is already beginning to unfold in a city of 120,000 people called Aizuwakamatsu.
http://samurai-city.jp/en/ Thanks to a joint venture between the Aizuwakamatsu city government and Accenture, people living in this community are leading “smart” lives that are being integrated into digital platforms. The project is a bold initiative that aims to create a nation of “smart citizens.” As part of this project, Accenture relocated 200 skilled workers to the Fukushima Innovation Center in Aizuwakamatsu last April.

As we enter 2019, interest in building smart cities is growing globally. In its home city of Seattle, Amazon achieved a retail milestone by opening a store with a fully automated checkout system called “Amazon Go.” In Toronto, Canada’s largest city, development of a smart city called “Toronto Waterfront” will begin next year led by Google’s parent company Alphabet.

This session will focus on local governments that are spearheading digital transformations and private sector leaders that are supporting these efforts with advanced technologies. This session will provide valuable insights into Japan’s unique approach to smart cities.