Celebrating a Decade of Urban Innovation
The 10th edition of the Casablanca Smart City forum took place on June 10 and 11, 2026, at the iconic Sacré-Cœur, marking a significant milestone with an unprecedented turnout. This event, held under the esteemed patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, welcomed official delegations from 18 cities worldwide, including notable participants from Singapore, New York, Shanghai, Dakar, and Brussels. Over its ten-year history, the forum has attracted more than 42,600 attendees and nearly 700 global experts, cementing Casablanca's status as Africa's leading laboratory for inclusive and sustainable urban innovation.
This year's theme, "Augmented Smart City: A Decade of Urban Innovation in Culture, Sports, and Economy," emphasized a transformative vision of urban development where artificial intelligence, digital twins, and emerging technologies enhance human intelligence, citizen engagement, and overall quality of life. Over the two-day event, discussions revolved around actionable strategies to optimize urban mobility, promote eco-responsible resource management, and invigorate local economic dynamism.
Fostering Talent and Technological Solutions
The Smart City Hackathon showcased young talents tackling real urban challenges, with winning teams including Tickexia, XGoal, and Dr Safety. Special mentions were awarded to GhostTwin and AjiL'Stade. Additionally, startup pitch sessions recognized Nexa360 for its innovative product Ziara, along with Tobis.ma and Agro Lora, while Garaji received a special commendation. These achievements were celebrated during the closing ceremony with the presentation of the Casablanca Smart City 2026 Awards.
Having become the first African city to join the IEEE Smart City Initiative's network of excellence in 2015, Casablanca continues to affirm its aspiration to be a regional and continental beacon for sustainable urban innovation. This vision rests on the pillars of attractiveness, sustainability, inclusion, and collective intelligence, which are essential to the city's metropolitan development.
As reported by maroc-hebdo.com.
