EXCOM meets in Seongnam City to decide on key strategies of WeGO
October 14, 2019
SEONGNAM CITY – WeGO kicked off its 10th Executive Committee (EXCOM) Meeting today in Seongnam City, which has so far seen the approval of new members, MOUs with new partners, and discussions for the advancement of the organization ahead of its General Assembly in 2020.
Around 150 participants from 58 local governments, corporations, and institutions—both current and prospective members and partners—are taking part in the three-day event, including 15+ heads of organizations. At an exhibition set up outside the plenary, half a dozen companies such as SRPOST, implementer of this year’s Feasibility Study, and DamoGO, winner of WeGO’s Secretary General Award at the Citypreneurs competition held two weeks ago, promoted their smart city solutions.
In her opening keynote speech, Mayor Soomi Eun of Seongnam City explained how technology combined with a human-centered approach is an efficient method to solve urban issues, and expressed hope that the event would act as a springboard not only for the host city to learn from the international community, but also for participants to pursue joint efforts to achieve their common goals.
During the press conference, WeGO’s Secretary General Kyong-yul Lee revealed a few of his organization’s objectives for the year ahead, notably the possible introduction of a co-presidency. Inspirational talks were then given by some of WeGO’s newest partners, including US-based organization the Smart Cities Council.
In the afternoon, 11 EXCOM members gathered to approve the membership of 29 new members, assess the work of WeGO’s regional offices over the past year, and review proposed amendments to WeGO’s Statutes, which will be fully developed and presented for approval at the General Assembly in 2020. 27 observers from local governments, corporations, and institutions also witnessed the signing ceremonies of two new MOUs between WeGO and the Seoul Business Agency and European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL).
Tomorrow, urban players and stakeholders from national and local governments, the private sector, academia, and international organizations will share their insights on how to advance citizen centricity and social innovation in smart cities during the plenary sessions. A workshop on WeGO’s smart cities activator will also be arranged to provide members hands-on-experience with the customized platform for project planning and case sharing.
EXCOM is WeGO’s main decision-making body that supports and guides the Secretariat in its activities. It convenes every year in a host city, selected through a bidding process, around a larger smart city event that features plenary sessions, workshops, exhibitions, and site visits. The last EXCOM was held in 2018 in Quezon City, Philippines.