- Hitachi and Frost & Sullivan in partnership organize a forum in Turkey on how "smart" technologies can be the answer to some of today's social challenges

ISTANBUL, Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitachi Europe Ltd. and Frost & Sullivan are partnering to bring together Turkey's business and NGO communities at the first Social Innovation Forum that will take place tomorrow, 19 February, in Istanbul, Turkey. The event will focus on urban development and how new, "smart" technologies can deliver innovations that answer society's challenges.

Cities are projected to host almost 54 percent of the world's population by next year, with the United Nations estimating that up to 80 percent of the global population will live in urban areas by 2050 – that is approximately 7.5 billion people. Urbanization is leading to further stress on infrastructure – power distribution, sewage, water system, transport – meaning the arteries of urban centres are at risk of becoming blocked. Socially, the lure of the city is straining education, policing and welfare.

Organized for the first time by Hitachi, the global technology and infrastructure company, and Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting firm, the Social Innovation Forum will bring together local and global companies alongside government leaders and local authorities for a day of insight, debate and technology demonstrations. Discussion will focus on the challenges facing today's urban societies, and what industry and government can do to help make life more comfortable, sustainable and productive for citizens. The Forum's key subjects will be "smart" cities and urban infrastructure, intelligent water solutions, healthcare – including big data and biometrics, and urban transportation

By 2025, over three quarters of Turkey's population are expected to live in cities. During the same time, one Mega City, one Mega Region, and one Mega Corridor are poised to emerge. "The next stage of development will be toward a connected and digital Turkey. The Turkish ICT sector will play a significant role in the country's economy, making strong contributions to the country's GDP and it will drive the 'smart infrastructure' investment," says Frost & Sullivan Director in Turkey Philipp J. Reuter, who will give the opening speech.

The anticipated transition of traditional urban centres to "smart" cities involves significant infrastructural changes, including the advancement of networks, machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, sensors and other processors that lead to convergence of commercial technologies and synergy of functionalities. The goal of "smart" cities is to enhance the lives of residents through improved performance, efficiency and functionality. This is expressed through an increase in living standards, improvement of communities, and betterment of the overall city experience. Cities are hoping to pour the savings derived from these efficiencies back into city projects to ultimately drive economic growth.

That's why it is necessary to take different approaches to help cities. "We need total solutions for a sustainable urban development to address critical global issues such as transportation infrastructure, access to clean water, developing technologies that promote a smooth and efficient transition to the 'smart' grid. We need smarter cities," said Mr Reuter. "Underpinned by infrastructure advances, new verticals such as mobility, e-governance, biometrics, intelligent water solutions, connected health and 'smart' energy are set for growth."

Social Innovation Forum will provide an opportunity for CEOs, CIOs, CTO's General Managers, Assistant General Managers, Managers, Product Managers, System Integrators and Academics to share information with various strategic developers and experts. During the event, there will be an interactive workshop which will focus on Mega Trends and sharing network at the event. "Our aim is to address refining technologies and discuss developing new ones to meet tomorrow's challenges. We want to inspire the business society by asking challenging questions," adds Frost & Sullivan Marketing Communications Manager Mr Koray Ozkal.

Frost & Sullivan's Social Innovation Forum, empowered by Hitachi will take place at the Istanbul Ciragan Palace Kempinski, tomorrow, Wednesday 19th February, 2014. For more information on the agenda, please contact:
Koray Ozkal, Marketing Communications, at koray.ozkal@frost.com.

To learn more about Frost & Sullivan, please contact:
Chiara Carella, Corporate Communications, at chiara.carella@frost.com

To learn more about Hitachi Europe, or to attend the Social Innovation Forum, please contact: Bahar Yapıcılar, Senior Director, Hill & Knowlton Strategies,
at bahar.yapicilar@hkstrategies.com, 0530 112 46 83

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SOURCE Frost & Sullivan