STEP INTO DIGITAL FUTURE

Major Cities of Europe IT User Group (MCE) is a membership organization whose objective is to maximize the value realized from the use of information and communication technologies in the administration of public authorities at the sub-national government level within Europe and the European sphere of influence. 2017 annual conference was held in Croatian capital Zagreb, on 12^th -14^th June 2017 and hosted distinguished speakers from European cities alongside worldwide experts from ICT providers and academia. This year conference title was ‘The Digital Future – Cities Facing the Reality‘ with focus on several hot issues: eGovernment initiatives, impact of emerging technologies on public administration, role of local public services on boosting of digital economy, local democracy in social media, city resilience, and innovation in public services. Emphasis was also given to high interest solutions from Start-ups, SMEs and EU projects. All delegates had an opportunity to participate in informal discussions and share ideas, initiatives and experience. The program included topics of interest for CIOs, Policy Makers and City Managers leading innovation in their cities.

The conference venue had an exhibition area, where City of Rijeka was settled with an interactive desk, promoting ongoing EU projects FIESTA, MySmartLife, SULPiTER and URBAN INNO. Besides the roll-up and leaflets, URBAN INNO presentation was supported for the first time with merchandise – pens and bags, which increased the visibility of the project, and, consequently, led to more interest and questions about project details. Željko Jurić, head of Information Technology Department of the City of Rijeka, held a public presentation on a first conference day among numerous participants on the theme ‘Digital future – smart cities and regions’, providing experiences about adopted practices and future steps Rijeka will take on the Smart city full concept path.