To discuss the development of a sustainable urban environment, public safety and the potential of integrating artificial intelligence into today's city governance, representatives of local authorities and academia, entrepreneurs, students and other enthusiasts of innovation and urban planning will gather at the “Smart Cities Conference” on 18 September.
The number of places at the event is limited, and those interested are invited to register by 16 September. Registration – https://ej.uz/viedo_pilsetu_konference_2025. “Smart Cities Conference 2025” will be held at the House of Science of the University of Latvia (LU).
The aim of the conference is to draw attention to sustainable urban planning, mobility and public safety, with particular emphasis on the role of technology and public involvement in the development of the cities of the future. Answers to questions about how to change people's travel habits and encourage the introduction of more environmentally friendly solutions, and whether the so-called 15-minute city concept can also be put into practice in Riga, will be sought by experts from a range of fields, Aldis Ērglis, Head of the Digital Transformation Department at LU and Head of “Emergn Latvia”, and Elīna Kirilko, Head of the Development Planning Unit of the Mobility Planning Division at the City Development Department of Riga City Council.
The conference will address the resilience of mobility and urban infrastructure, as well as the importance of artificial intelligence and cyber security in smart city crisis situations, topics that will be covered by Gints Reinsons, Deputy Head of the Crisis Management Centre, Pauls Irbins, Head of the Space Technology Centre at Riga Technical University (RTU) and drone instructor for the National Guard, and Dana Ludviga, cyber security specialist at CERT.LV. Diāna Korbe, Head of the Geomatics Division at the City Development Department of Riga City Council, points out that “the availability of high-quality data is vital for the development of smart cities. As data become more detailed and grow in volume, modern technologies must be used to process them and it must be ensured that the information is in safe hands – that it is maintained and processed in a secure environment, which is exactly why this year's conference is addressing both AI solutions and cyber security topics.”
Conference participants will also have the opportunity to get to know the latest innovations in the exhibition area, where they can see solutions developed by “Latvijas Mobilais Telefons” (LMT), “CarMonitor”, “Bruntor”, “ORUGA”, “WeAreDots” and others.
“The city brings together the public, academia, industry and local government to foster sustainable development. We all want to live, work and study in a safe, modern and sustainable environment. The “Smart Cities Conference”, which RTU has been organising for several years now, provides the most essential element for achieving that goal – dialogue that turns into concrete next steps,” emphasises Liene Briede, RTU Vice-Rector for Innovation.
In cooperation with Riga City Council, the conference has been included in the programme of European Mobility Week, which will run from 16 to 22 September and promote public understanding of sustainable mobility in cities. The conference is organised by the RTU Science and Innovation Centre in cooperation with LU, Riga City Council, the open innovation movement “VEFRESH” and other partners. The event is delivered by “EIT Urban Mobility”, an innovation community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and supported by the mobile technology company LMT.