To go beyond pedestrianization and accessibility; achieve spaces for all people of all ages; and making the city a healthier, more friendly, inclusive, intergenerational and global community, are some of the challenges of the III Fórum RIES18 that will be held in Pontevedra on October 24th, 25th and 26th, organized by the Cluster Saúde de Galicia (CSG).
A meeting, of an international nature, that will gather 300 professionals in the capital of Pontevedra – under the motto, “Smart, healthy and friendly cities: guarantee a healthy life and promote well-being in all ages”.
The mayor of Pontevedra, Miguel Anxo Fernández Lores; the President of the Organizing Committee of III Fórum RIES18, Lucía Saborido; and the CSG Cluster Manager, Gisela García Álvarez, presented the program on September 19th at the Pontevedra Concello. An event, “for whose celebration there is no better city than Pontevedra,” said the mayor, who recalled that, “our philosophy of city goes through the recovery of public space, streets and squares for all its inhabitants ” and, in addition, “achieving more adequate spaces for all people, of all ages“.
A change, continued Lores, “that goes beyond pedestrianization, designing and projecting friendly and inclusive, more democratic and collective cities”. In short, he said, “a city based on a global concept and a way of life that everyone can enjoy”.
Essence of III Fórum RIES18
During the press conference presentation of the forum, the president of the Organizing Committee recalled that it consists onan international and intergenerational meeting with which, she said, “we seek to address the challenges, opportunities, advances and novelties that are being generated in the health ecosystem. At the regional, state and international level”.
“And why have we chosen Pontevedra?” she continued: “because it is considered an international benchmark for its ‘walkable’ city model that promotes accessibility, mobility, inclusion and the quality of life of all its inhabitants, essential elements of this international meeting of smart, healthy and friendly cities”.
The biggest challenge of the forum, she explained, “is to analyze the great impact that environments, spaces and infrastructures, in this case of cities, have on improving the health and quality of life of its inhabitants“. Thus, in its program we will discuss and present the latest advances, innovations and solutions of the health and social care sector of Galicia, Spain and the rest of the world, to make cities, communities as healthy, livable and integrative as possible. “In all senses, areas and ages,” Saborido said: “in health, technology, mobility, environment, nutrition, intergenerational relations and –not to forget- active aging”.
Program and speakers
As García Álvarez explained, the Cluster Saúde de Galicia (CSG) has designed the program of the III Fórum RIES18 “with the references of innovation, internationalization and training of the sector, always seeking economic development as a result and the collaboration of the agents who work in it.”.
And, of course, qualified, “so that the project has continuity and a certain strategic line and does not become only a declaration of intentions”.
Due to the great expectation of previous years, added the cluster manager of the CSG, “we have expanded the forum in time and speakers, going from one day in its first edition to three days and with the international presence of 300 professionals from countries like France, Estonia, Israel or Portugal”.
A program that, he said, “will place us in the global context at the human and technological level of Smart Cities” with the outstanding presence, for example, of the professor and researcher of the Paris I-Pantheon Sorbonne and president of InTI ( Innovation, Technology and Investment), Carlos Moreno and the founder and president of the Israel Smart City Institute, Edna Pasher, who will talk about information technologies at the service of health in this type of cities.
In the program also participates, from the experience of Pontevedra and its urbanistic project, the person in charge of Promotion of the City and Tourism, Anabel Gulias.
The forum is completed with several round tables with panels of regional, national and international that will lead debates on technologies and on current and future projects in health. The afternoon program will include various practical workshops around the main themes of the meeting: technological advances in improving health, mobility, technology, intergenerational relationships, active aging and others.
The participation of Carlos Moreno “has already achieved previous successes,” said García Álvarez, since this expert, after learning about the Pontevedra urban project as the headquarters of the III Fórum RIES18, has invited the mayor to participate in several discussion panels within the International Forum of Smart Cities in Le Havre, Normandy, which takes place between 27th and 29th of September. “A perfect preamble to our event at the end of October,” she concluded, during which Professor Carlos Moreno will be able to experience first hand the city of Pontevedra and its essence of an intelligent, healthy and friendly city “.
