Durham Region hosts the Hello Tomorrow: Durham Smart Cities Forum

Whitby, Ontario – Today, The Regional Municipality of Durham successfully hosted the Hello Tomorrow: Durham Smart Cities Forum at University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in the City of Oshawa.

More than 300 residents, community partners, businesses, academics, students, government officials and tech industry leaders in Durham Region and beyond registered to attend the forum to share feedback on, and learn more about, smart cities approaches and technologies.

“This event is the Region’s first step in connecting with the community on how we can use technology and innovative solutions to address economic, social and environmental challenges,” said Gerri Lynn O’Connor, Regional Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “Our goal is to make Durham a stronger, more inclusive and resilient community by strengthening decision making and improving services.”

The forum included:

• A keynote address by Hillary Hartley, Ontario's Chief Digital Officer.
  
  
• Presentations and panel discussions on innovation in Durham Region (including transit, energy, income stability and information technology), smart city innovation, education, leadership in a connected community, and automotive technology and mobility innovation.
  
  
• A free event app to allow attendees to interact and provide input.
  
  
• Exhibits, technology demonstrations and networking opportunities.

“The forum was an exciting way to celebrate the work that is already underway and provided an opportunity to start thinking about how we move forward as a connected region,” said Sandra Austin, Manager of Corporate Initiatives. “As a nextension step, the Region will look at ways to strengthen our partnerships with key stakeholders to develop smart cities strategies and take advantage of new opportunities.”

Those who weren’t able to attend the forum can watch a recorded broadcast of the speakers and panelists at durham.ca/SmartCities.

The Regional Municipality of Durham acknowledges the generous support of its event sponsors and partners, which include, University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT), Durham College, Bell Mobility, Durham Workforce Authority, Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation (OPUC) and Veridian Connections.

For more information and updates, visit durham.ca/SmartCities.

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For more information, please contact Corporate Communications.