Leading global players from the construction, engineering and ICT industry discussed the latest trends for powering digital transformation in smart cities and smart buildings at the BICSI Middle East & Africa Conference and Exhibition held in Dubai.

Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI), a US-based global association leading the advancement of the information and communications technology (ICT) community, organised the event which drew over 400 delegates representing 45 nationalities and 34 countries.

The 2018 MEA Conference was held under the theme, ‘A Connected World: Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, Smart Infrastructure, and More!’, said a statement from BICSI.

The conference attended by international experts and professionals focused on providing unprecedented insights into technologies and standards driving the evolution of smart cities, smart buildings and smart infrastructures.

Jeff Beavers, the president of BICSI, said: "We are extremely pleased to choose Dubai as the continuing venue for this conference. As a global hub for BICSI, Dubai is growing rapidly in its design and deployment of advanced smart technologies, which can be seen in plans for such internationally recognized projects as Silicon Park. Intelligent buildings and cities require standards and best practices and a highly-qualified workforce and that is a great match for BICSI standards, education and credentials."

The keynote address was delivered by Limor Schafman, the director, Smart Buildings Program, Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) said: "Smart Buildings play a critical role in the deployment of these next generation networks and can accelerate the development of smart municipalities, particularly highly sophisticated buildings which are microcosms of smart communities."

TIA is the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech communications networks.

Schafman’s keynote address was hosted by BICSI MEA diamond sponsor, Tamdeed Projects, a subsidiary of the multinational telecommunications services provider Etisalat," he noted.

"To advance the vision of what is possible, TIA’s Smart Buildings Program is defining fully integrated buildings to ensure proper interoperation and future proofing of communications. The program is developing guidelines, specification and standards as needed to facilitate the ecosystem," stated Schafman.

"It is already anticipated that the Smart Buildings marketplace will see significant growth from an estimated $7.24 billion in 2017 to an anticipated $32 billion in 2022. By building a common framework and language, TIA hopes to contribute to the foundation of that market growth," he added.
 
Steve Surfaro, the chairman, Public Safety Group - Security Industry Association, speaking at a workshop titled, ‘Envisioning Smart/ Safe Cities’ Future: 2020 and Beyond’, said: "Information and communication are key to the intelligent city of tomorrow and BICSI members will learn and execute smart city projects with data exchange as ultimate goal. What are the top smart city goals?  Although global priorities vary, one of the main areas of study are transportation improvements for the citizen experience."

Attendees witnessed how natural languages processing like Alexa Skills are working within a smart city.  Critical infrastructure, mobility and public safety all are riding on the smart city/smart buildings transport toward a more global, intelligent, connected tomorrow."

On the concluding day, Ali Al Suwaidi, VP, Middle East Facilities Management Association (Mefma), focused on the topic of ‘Smart Facilities Management for Smart Cities.’

"This will help the city managers to invest wisely, while ensuring the residents comfort and safety, putting forward long-term city-wide facility management and infrastructure sustainable plans," stated Al Suwaidi.

"It is very critical for the overall smart city concept to include Facility Management best practice during its implementation," he added.-TradeArabia News Service