The 1st Euro-Mediterranean Conference and Exhibition 2016, took place at theTrakasol Cultural Centre in Limassol on 14-16 April 2016. The subject of the Conference was “Smart Urban Development and Blue Growth opportunities for Cities, Communities and Islands in the Mediterranean Basin”.
Under the auspices of President Nicos Anastasiades, Limassol Mayor Andreas Christou, the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry & Tourism, the Greek Ministry of the Environment and Energy, the Limassol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Greek Tourism Organization and the National Technical University of Athens, the event gathered contributors and participants from Europe, the USA, the Middle East, Thailand and a large number from Cyprus.
Delegates were welcomed to Limassol and the Conference by Alecos Michaelides, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Transport, Communications & Works, Haris Trikkis, Limassol City Councillor, Constantinos Xichilos, Deputy Director of the Energy Agency, Nicos Nicolaou, Head, International Relations Strategy-Communication, Cyta, Iacovos Papaiacovou, General Manager, Limassol-Amathus of Sewerage Board, and Chrysses Nicolaides, Chair of the Conference Organizing Committee.
The main objective of the
Conference was to encourage research, discussion, exchange of ideas and
knowledge on major EU initiatives – Smart cities and blue growth – and to
promote networking to build partnerships and
take advantage of the enormous funding opportunities to be seized through smart
city programmes. The event was successful and provided excellent
impetus and practical networking opportunities towards this goal.
The Conference began with the keynote speeches by Prof. Nicos Komninos, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Director of
URENIO Research, Greece, Dr.
Costis Toregas, George Washington University, Co-Director of the Cyber
Security and Privacy Research Institute (CSPRI), USA, and Prof. Vice Rector Photis M. Panayides,
Cyprus University of Technology, Vice-Chairman,
Cyprus Ports Authority, Cyprus. In the
sessions that followed, 25 speakers from more than 14 countries presented
their papers relating to the conference
themes, focusing on the Mediterranean region and in particular on cities and
island communities. The papers
presented will undergo a peer review process in order to be considered for
publication by Springer Publications and the Journal of Urban Technology (JUT),
the editor of which Professor Richard E.
Hanley, participated in the Conference. Conference sessions were also dedicated
to presenting current practices, and smart developments, products and solutions.
The Conference was organized by the Smart Cities Mediterranean Cluster (SMART-MED) managed by CNE Business Development Ltd, and Papadopoulos & Schinis Productions Ltd, in cooperation with the National Technical University of Athens, the KIOS Research Center of the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus University of Technology.
Main Sponsor: Cyta
Sponsors/ supporters: Electricity Authority of Cyprus, Limassol-Amathus Sewerage Board, KPMG, Limassol Marina.
