 This forum, organised by the prefecture of the Berkane province over two days under the theme "Smart City Management in the Era of Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things", aims to highlight international experiences and approaches in the field of smart city management, through innovative approaches that combine artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, with a view to developing more sustainable and effective urban systems.
This meeting also aims to strengthen international cooperation and technological innovation by attracting international experts and discussing best practices related to sustainable smart cities capable of facing challenges, in addition to placing the city of Berkane on the map of smart cities continentally and internationally, by strengthening digital infrastructure, developing interactive platforms, and employing artificial intelligence technology to provide more transparent and effective territorial services.
The speakers during the opening session of the forum agreed on the importance of digital transformation as a fundamental lever for managing the territorial area, especially since smart cities have become a necessary model for modern urban management, by relying on advanced tools that allow for quick and effective decision-making to face increasing challenges.
The Governor of the Berkane province, Mohamed Ali Habouha, confirmed that this session addresses an important and topical issue concerning the management of smart cities, where the concept of city management has gone beyond the traditional management of resources and services to include sophisticated and interconnected systems that provide decision-makers with the necessary tools to make effective and sustainable decisions.
Mr. Habouha pointed out that this innovative approach to management relies on advanced technologies such as data science, artificial intelligence, geographic information systems, the Internet of Things, data centres, cloud computing, and wide-band data transmission, highlighting that these tools create a qualitative leap in the way cities are planned and managed and in anticipating the challenges they face, which ensures higher efficiency in management.
For his part, the Secretary-General in charge of regional affairs at the Wilaya of the Oriental region, Rachid Zanati, considered that this forum embodies the strategic importance that artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things enjoy in shaping the future of smart cities, given their pivotal role in accelerating the pace of digital transformation and achieving sustainable development.
He explained that artificial intelligence has a pivotal role in digital transformation, through its development of productive sectors and its impact on the economy and society thanks to rapid technological developments, especially in the field of generative artificial intelligence, which has become an effective tool for economic development and improving basic services such as health and education by making them more efficient and appropriate.
In turn, the Director-General of the Agency for the Development of the Oriental Region, Mohamed M'barki, considered that the human factor, with its creativity and culture, remains at the heart of building smart cities, confirming that a truly smart city is one that makes the human being the essence of the urban system and aims to achieve efficiency, inclusivity, and sustainability.
He confirmed that the city of Berkane has been able to draw a clear path in this field and has achieved tangible progress, making it a positive model that can lead other cities towards smarter and more efficient governance systems, highlighting that it has strengthened its position within the global smart cities network, which makes it a national and regional reference in this field.
In a statement to the Maghreb Arabe Presse (MAP) agency, the Vice-President of Mohammed I University in Oujda and Director of the National School of Artificial Intelligence and Digitalisation in Berkane, Khalid Jaafar, considered that the university's involvement in this international event comes within the framework of the existing cooperation between the university and the prefecture of the Berkane province to establish a new dynamic for thinking and scientific research, through training dedicated to student engineers in the field of smart cities.
He pointed out that smart cities have become an urgent national and international necessity, and that Morocco continues to implement its strategy in digitalisation, confirming that the establishment of the National School of Artificial Intelligence and Digitalisation in Berkane is a pioneering step that keeps pace with the major projects that the region and the province are witnessing, through applied scientific research and advanced training programmes to support development and innovation in this vital field.
For his part, the Consul General of the Comoros, Said Omar Said Hassan, in a similar statement, praised the pioneering experience that the city of Berkane has accumulated in this field, expressing his country's desire to benefit from this model, especially at the level of the capital.
He pointed out that this event is an opportunity to exchange experiences and expertise, especially regarding smart city technologies and cooperation between the countries of the African continent, confirming that the Comoros seeks to benefit from the Moroccan experience, especially the experience of the city of Berkane, which has won awards at the continental level in this field.
The opening session of the forum witnessed the signing of several strategic agreements to strengthen the smart infrastructure in the province, including the establishment of a Smart Territorial Management Centre (STMC), a regional data centre, as well as international partnerships with leading companies in the technological field.
The forum includes discussion sessions on integrating artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things into urban planning, developing smart infrastructure, digitising public services, innovative governance, and strengthening city resilience, as well as scientific sessions that approach the latest scientific and technical research in the field of smart cities, presenting leading international experiences, and honouring Moroccan and international cities that have achieved distinguished achievements in this framework.
