With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and with infrastructure funding packages further addressed in both the U.S. House and Senate in 2022, counties, cities, and towns will see an unprecedented amount of federal funding reach their local communities in the coming years. Smart Cities Connect, the preeminent convener of municipal decision-makers in North America announced Wednesday that its fall Conference and Expo, held in Washington, D.C., from September 26-29, will focus heavily on discussing how the use of those funds can create a more resilient, more equitable future for residents.
“Besides the objective to modernize America’s roads and bridges, the passage of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act also addresses the access gap and the adoption gap underlying the digital divide,” said Don Jacobson, IT Business Partner for Innovation – Las Vegas, NV. “Expanding broadband, subsidizing broadband subscriptions, and providing training will combine to ensure all Americans have the technology and the skills to leverage that technology to actively participate in our digital economy.”
From high-speed internet to public transit, from the power grid to bridges and roads, funding will touch virtually every aspect of American infrastructure. Moving those advancements forward are city decision-makers and local leadership, 300 of which will gather at Smart Cities Connect Conference, along with innovators, corporations, federal agencies, and more. With access to funding – the dominant challenge preceding passage of the Infrastructure Law – now taking a backseat, cities can and are exploring how infrastructure investments have the potential to be more than pothole fillers.
“The hundreds of participating cities represent the nation’s largest gathering of key leaders implementing billions in infrastructure funds to build the backbone of daily life in America. Our cities can do so much more than we dreamed with the innovation now available to us. It can transform our communities with meaningful data points, build equity and trust, and empower cities to use resources for the betterment of all residents,” said Matthew Laudon, Vice President – TechConnect Division, ATI. “We’re proud uniters of the largest gathering of municipal decision makers in the nation each year, and we remain committed to a city-first agenda that dives into the issues that matter most to them. In 2022, infrastructure takes center stage.”
For more information or to attend the event this fall, visit: https://fall.smartcitiesconnect.org/index.html.
Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo offers the most comprehensive conference, exposition and accelerator of smart city innovation in North America. It delivers premium networking and educational opportunities with a keen focus on city leaders and their priorities. Working closely with the technology community, Smart Cities Connect brings together the largest collection of intelligent systems providers for energy, infrastructure, networks, data management, urban mobility, resident engagement and governance solutions. Smart Cities Connect is powered by TechConnect, a division of Advanced Technology International. www.smartcitiesconnect.com
With 25+ years of experience connecting emerging technologies with unique funding and partnership opportunities, TechConnect boasts the most robust research and innovation network in the world. It employs a broad scope of tools to deliver top technologies, including open innovation programs, conferences, and open-access publications. Each year, TechConnect prospects, vets, and connects thousands of emerging technologies with corporate, investment, municipal, and national defense clients. TechConnect is a division of Advanced Technology International. techconnect.org
ATI, a public-service nonprofit based in Summerville, S.C., builds and manages collaborations that conduct research and development of new technologies to solve our nation’s most pressing challenges. Fueled by a community of experts from industry, academia, and government, ATI accelerates impact by using the power of collaboration to help the federal government quickly acquire novel technologies. ATI is a subsidiary of Analytic Services, Inc. (ANSER), a public-service research institute organized as a nonprofit corporation, which is dedicated to informing decisions that shape the nation’s future. ATI.org
