Seoul takes the lead from Barcelona: the next Sharing Cities Summit is to be hosted in November 2020. The global meetings on sharing economy and platform economy resume to gather Mayors, Deputy Mayors and other city representatives from leading cities in the POST-COVID19 era.
The Sharing Cities Summits have been gathering city council representatives, experts and ecosystems tackling challenges and opportunities of the Platform Economy since 2016. This year, it will celebrate its 4th edition, as Seoul takes the lead from Barcelona: the next Sharing Cities Summit is to be hosted in November 2020 by the city of Seoul. Adapting to the global pandemic, this year’s format will be virtual. The event follows the previous editions of Barcelona in 2018, New York City 2017, and 2016 in Amsterdam. You can explore more information in the section Previous Summits.
Family picture with Seoul and Barcelona city representatives, as well as the director of the Encounter 2019, after the announcement of Seoul to host the Sharing Cities Summit 2020. It was announced after months of conversation, during the Sharing Cities Action Encounter 2019.
Sharing Cities Summit gathers Mayors, Deputy Mayors and other city representatives from leading cities from around the world, as well as experts and actors of the sharing ecosystem. It’s a vibrant space for collaboration, sharing best practices, public policies, legislation and research; as to co-create action plans and common agenda. A true testament to the global nature of the sharing economy and its impact on urban life.
The new edition will resume the global meetings from a very powerful point, as 2018 was the year the cities signed the Declaration of Common Principles and Commitments for Sharing Cities. Sharing Cities Seoul 2020 will be the space to drive it forward.
Presentation of the Declaration of Common Principles and Commitments for Sharing Cities at Smart City Expo World Congress 2018 with the city representatives.
Virtual Sharing Cities Summit Seoul
Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the Sharing Cities Summit Seoul 2020 changes its format to a virtual Summit. While adapting to the new circumstances, the format opens the window to maximize the participation of city representatives, experts, entrepreneurs and researchers from around the world.
However, the effects of the outbreak go further: the already-present trends in the transition from industrial manufacture to digital platforms are accelerating due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Never before have we had such a clear opportunity to look at a real-life situation and question what a resilient city means in the context of digital transformation. Now more than ever, Sharing Cities matters.
Global Preparatory Group
Barcelona, through Sharing Cities Action, participates at the Global Preparatory Group, set up by Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Actually, 2020 Seoul Summit has already started. Besides the preparation and organization meetings, Seoul hosted, from 1st to 5th June, the Together We Stand: CAC (Cities Against COVID-19) Global Summit 2020 (Virtual), a platform to share experiences of COVID-19 with cities around the world. One of the sessions was the Discussion on Urban Sharing, where members of the Global Preparatory Group shared views, experiences, and measures taken by cities to reinforce the publicness and resilience of cities in the emergency response and the post-COVID-19 era. You can watch the session here. This session is a first stone towards the Sharing Cities Summit and symbolized the pass on the baton from Barcelona to Seoul.
Here you can read the press release published by Barcelona City Council.
