An Engage Talk on smart cities will be held in Fredericton on the evening of Sept. 6 and will feature a keynote by Srini Srinivasan, President of the United Nations-affiliated World Design Organization.

Presented by Fredericton entrepreneur Mark Taylor, Engage Talks are public sessions that highlight a specific topic, usually one that concerns the innovation or entrepreneurship community. Smart cities have been discussed widely in New Brunswick because of the strong community working in data analytics and the efforts to digitize government.

"Smart communities have the potential to unlock a huge positive impact on the economies of Atlantic Canada and the lives of the residents of these communities,” said Taylor in an email. “The September 6th Engage Talk will provide a road map for how to create world-class smart communities that benefit everyone who lives in them."

Engage Talks: Designing Smart Communities will begin with a panel discussion highlighting current smart community initiatives.

Following a break, Srinivasan will present his talk on how municipalities, businesses and universities can collaborate on creating world-class smart communities with lessons learned around the world.

Srinivasan has worked for more than 25 years in Silicon Valley, the United States and India. He is the Chairman and CEO of Lumin Design, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based product design company that has developed products in the consumer electronics, medical, industrial goods, security and surveillance domains.

The Engage Talk will take place at Planet Hatch beginning at 5 pm. You can register and find more information here.