The GCD Spring Summit 2011 came to a successful close on 22 February in Cologne
The GCD event held from 21-22 February in special chosen venues within the city of Cologne was co-organised by GCD and the hosting city of Cologne.
The Spring Summit 2011 brought together 60 participants from 15 countries worldwide representing local authorities, intergovernmental organisations, the academic world and the global ICT industry and focussed on the deployment of a local digital agenda for Europe (DAE) and if the DAE could be also a sustainable model for other continents as well as on how to make decisions green in period of cost reduction at the city level.
In the morning on 21 February 2011 a series of internal meetings have been held during which three Task Groups have been launched as part of the Action Plan 2011-2012:
- Digital Solidarity led by the Vice Chair city for Africa, city of Dolisie (Rep. Congo) supported by the observer member "Senegal und Freunde e.V."
- Sustainability supported by ICT or "going ecolocal" led by the city of Cologne (Germany)
- e-Government led by the city of Issy-les-Moulineaux (France) and supported by the Vice Chair city for Asia, city of Guro (South Korea)
Interested cities (members or not), organisations (non profit, academic, private or public) are welcome to join this GCD-Task Groups.
In the afternoon, the participants of the Spring Summit 2011 took part in the Tour "ICT made in Cologne" during which some of the city's most innovating projects/applications have been presented at the "Rheinauhafen" location. In the evening the participants were invited to attend the Gala Dinner in the newly opened
Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum.
The second day of the event was opened by GCD-Chairman Paul Helminger and Cologne Vice-Mayor Angela Spizig. Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes delivered a compelling keynote as video message (link to the video on the left side) to the participants and Mr. Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau, Member of her Cabinet, provided more detailed explanation on the DEA and answered the questions of a highly interested audience.
The first round table was dedicated to the deployment of digital agendas at the local level and moderated by Mr Detlev Goetz (Luxembourg).
City representatives like Vice Mayor Angela Spizig (Cologne), Vice Mayor Michel Mahinga (Dolisie/Rep. of Congo), Vice Mayor Carlos Alarco (Miraflores/Peru), Mr Eero Holstila (Helsinki) and Mr David Fotue (citizen of Demdeng/Cameroon) shared their experience with an attentive audience.
Mr. Constantijn van Oranje-Nassau represented the European Commission's own opinion. Mr Ralf Seufert, expert at Cisco, provided a concrete example, the concept "Dialogue Cafe" as an instrument for user empowerment at the global level.
The second round table dealt with the intelligent use of ICT as a way to protect the environment and reduce cost.
German cities were represented by (from left to the right): Prof. Dr. Manfred Mayer (Free State of Bavaria), Mayor Klaus Stallmeister (Hallbergmoos), First Mayor Harald Schindel (Saarbrücken), Vice Mayor Angela Spizig (Cologne), CIO Christof Neumann (Augsburg), CIO Ralf Armbruster (Stuttgart), Mr Hans Tijl, director DRO (Amsterdam) and moderator Ms Elisabeth Slapio (IHK) contributed to the debate.
The city of Amsterdam introduced the Smart Work Centres as a worthwhile and green concept to be implemented over Europe.
GCD thanks the moderators of the two round tables, Detlev Goetz and Elisabeth Slapio and all participants for their interesting and valuable contributions. The GCD-work on the issues addressed during the Spring Summit does not end with the closing of the Spring Summit 2011!
GCD and participants will further cooperate -e.g. with the partners of the Citadel Statement who provided a short report on their next steps during the GCD-the Steering Committee Meeting- and share their expertise/best-bad practices (worthwhile to be shared/not to reinvent the wheel and to be avoided) with each other via the communications ways offered by ICT.
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