We live in a digital society. Communication, commuting and communities are driven by codes and computers. Our buildings will be based on an invisible digital infrastructure turning cities into smart environment, to simplify our lives.

However, to make sure, technology will not be self-referential but serve people and society, we need to define innovation in a broader context putting social values as well as economic benefits in the centre of a truly smart city.

In an interdisciplinary salon, W.I.R.E., SAVDIA and the ETH Zurich join forces with partners Kickstarter, Google Creative Labs, Environmental Health Clinic und Parsons The New School for Design to engage in a discussion on how to design a „truly smart city“ to look for solutions on how to strenghten communities, drive innovation in the city spaces and bring privacy to the next level.

If you happen to be there - join us!

Ein Jahr vor der Weltausstellung 2015 in Mailand ist die Schweiz mit der Roadshow «il giro del gusto» in Mailand, Rom und Turin präsent. Die Stadt Zürich stellt in Milano im Castelle Sforzato im Hinblick auf die Eröffnung der NEAT/NFTA das Zusammenrücken von Mailand und Zürich in den Vordergrund, die Teilnehmer des Future City Speed Dating Milano beschäftigen sich mit den Chancen und Herausforderungen, welche sich in wirtschaftlicher, kultureller und sozialer Hinsicht daraus ergeben.

Swisscom Business Park, Zurich
In cooperation with Swisscom and the Office for Economy and Labour of the Canton of Zurich

The global data volume is currently doubling every two years on average. By the year 2020, it’s expected to grow to 40 zettabytes – that’s a 40 with 21 zeros. This will create new opportunities for customised services, but also entails the risk of overload and disorientation.

The fourth Cluster Dialogue, the platform for exchanging ideas across industry sectors and clusters, took a look at the conditions in which the digital society will operate in future and examined important questions: what business opportunities will arise in the age of big data? And how will we manage to find our way in it?

former Porthos, Warsaw
In cooperation with the Kunstverein Zürich

The second event in the “Learning from ...” WARP CONFERENCE series took place in Warsaw, and as always the central feature was an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas between people from a variety of disciplines. Using a speed-dating technique, participants discussed Warsaw’s specific challenges and possible problem-solving approaches for the future. Issues mentioned relatively frequently included economic problems such as outward migration, the absence of creative ideas and family-unfriendly terms of employment. The participants gave free rein to their creativity in developing solutions, idea bazaars were suggested as well as flexible workplaces scattered throughout the city and available to all comers.

Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm
In cooperation with Konstfack and the Palliative Research Centre

The Warp Conference entitled “The Future of Death” was carried out in cooperation with Konstfack, the University College of Arts, Craft and Design, and the Palliative Research Centre, a collaboration between the Ersta Sköndal University College and the Ersta Hospital. Since the Palliative Research Centre studies new ways to make the final days of a person‘s life as dignified as possible, people from a wide variety of disciplines were brought together to discuss this taboo subject on an interdisciplinary basis. Using a kind of speed-dating technique, the participants first decided on the most important areas for action in supporting dying persons and thereafter defined concrete visions and concepts of the future of palliative care. 

Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm
In cooperation with Konstfack and the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship

Major cities worldwide are often faced with similar challenges. Yet they develop different solutions, sometimes with varying levels of success. The “Learning from …” WARP CONFERENCE series was set up so that cities could learn from each other. However, we don’t follow the well-trodden path of soliciting political opinions only. Instead, we facilitate an interdisciplinary exchange of views between a wide variety of specialist areas and the public. The participants in “Learning from Stockholm”, the first event of this kind, were therefore challenged in a speed-dating session to define what they thought were the relevant aspects for Stockholm and to suggest concrete ideas for the future of the city. Frequently mentioned challenges included environmental and health problems such as the consequences of climate change, the waste of resources and a lack of preventive health measures. A wide spectrum of proposed solutions was produced, from a climate-regulating ice park and efficient, smart buildings to immunity booster stations.