(Kingston, September 19, 2023)   

The island’s electric utility, JPS, is hosting a Smart City Forum on Wednesday September 20, in collaboration with the Tuatara Group out of the USA. The Tuatara Group was engaged under a Technical Assistance initiative funded by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), to determine the technical, financial, and economic viability of a JPS New Kingston Smart City Project.  The Forum, which will be held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, in St. Andrew, is designed to highlight the benefits of a smart city.

Smart cities are about using technology to drive efficiency in a sustainable way, so as to improve the quality of life of its citizens. This includes improved safety, public Wi-Fi, traffic management, urban planning and environment monitors, among other benefits. In addition to these areas, the Smart City Forum will also give an overview of the feasibility study for the smart city demonstration project, for New Kingston.  Importantly, the session will also examine the successful journey of Schenectady, New York – a smart city success.

One of the goals of the Forum is to bring together key Jamaican stakeholders to share ideas and discuss smart city technologies and the way forward for their development in Jamaica.

Several speakers from local organizations critical to the development of a smart city, will be presenting at the Forum, with the keynote speaker being the Mayor of Schenectady, New York, Mr. Gary McCarthy.

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