WeGO’s Productive Engagements in Los Angeles and San Francisco: Strengthening Global Partnerships and Smart City Initiatives
USA, January 16, 2025 — From January 3 to 15, 2025, WeGO embarked on a strategic visit to Los Angeles and San Francisco, engaging with key stakeholders to promote smart city collaboration, expand partnerships, and advance the Seoul Smart City Prize. This visit featured high-level meetings, city engagements, and industry-focused presentations, reinforcing WeGO’s mission to foster global sustainable urban development.
Los Angeles Highlights
The visit began in Los Angeles, where WeGO representatives met with the former Consul General of Los Angeles to explore potential connections with U.S. partners. The discussions focused on leveraging the existing network to build stronger ties with cities and organizations across the United States. In Fullerton, a meeting with the Mayor marked a significant milestone as Fullerton officially confirmed its membership with WeGO. This development reflects the city’s commitment to smart and sustainable urban development in partnership with a global network. At the City of Los Angeles, WeGO met with key officials, including the Deputy Mayor, Executive Officer, Senior Director of Digital Inclusion & Innovation, and other representatives from the Mayor’s Office of International Affairs and Energy & Sustainability. These discussions revolved around WeGO membership and upcoming 2025 activities, with a focus on fostering digital inclusion, sustainability, and international collaboration. A visit to Irvine included a meeting with the District 1 Councilmember, where WeGO introduced its initiatives and extended an invitation to the Seoul Smart City Prize.
San Francisco Engagements
In San Francisco, WeGO reconnected with Mr. Mark Chandler, Director of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Global Engagement, at City Hall. The meeting focused on inviting the Mayor to the upcoming Seoul Smart Life Week and encouraging San Francisco to apply for the Seoul Smart City Prize. Discussions also highlighted San Francisco’s ongoing smart city initiatives, providing valuable insights into innovative urban strategies. WeGO’s delegation also met with the Consul General and Consul of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco, as well as the Chairman of the San Francisco-Seoul Sister City Committee. The meeting centered on identifying opportunities for cooperation and fostering ties between member cities in the region.
SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium
A major highlight of the visit was WeGO’s participation in the SEMI Industry Strategy Symposium in San Francisco, where over 200 top executives from the semiconductor industry gathered. WeGO’s Secretary General delivered a presentation on the organization and the Seoul Smart City Prize, showcasing WeGO’s global impact and inviting industry leaders to join the initiative. The team also met with the President of SEMI to discuss cooperation for the upcoming year’s Seoul Prize, paving the way for increased private-sector engagement in smart city solutions.
Strengthening Global Collaboration
This visit underscored WeGO’s commitment to fostering international partnerships and promoting smart city development. With new memberships, enhanced collaboration with U.S. cities, and strategic industry engagements, WeGO continues to advance its mission of building sustainable, inclusive urban ecosystems.
About WeGO
The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), is a membership-based international association of local governments, smart tech solution providers, and institutions committed to the transformation of cities into smart sustainable cities through facilitating public-private partnerships (PPP). WeGO was founded by 50 member cities in 2010 as the World e-Governments Organization, hence our acronym. In response to the evolving concept of smart cities, WeGO expanded its vision and mandate at the 7th General Assembly (2017) and its name to the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization. WeGO’s Secretariat is based in Seoul, Korea, and has regional offices in East Asia (Chengdu, China), the Mediterranean (Beyoglu, Turkey), Africa (Abuja, Nigeria), Middle East & North Africa (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), Latin America (Cuenca, Ecuador), and Central Asia (Almaty, Kazakhstan). As the leading platform on smart city development, WeGO’s mission is to share knowledge and good practices in e-Governance; strengthen administrative efficiency and transparency; advance digital capacity; facilitate civic involvement; bridge the digital divide and inequality; and promote cooperation solidarity among cities and local governments around the world.
WeGO serves for its members as their international platform to improve the quality of life, innovate in the delivery of public services, and strengthen regional competitiveness.
Press Contact:
Name: Kakim Danabayev
E-mail: kakim@we-gov.org
Phone: +82-70-4202-9169