KOCHI: A trade mission from Belgium led by Ambassador Jan Luykx and Consul-General Bart De Groof has offered technology solutions and ideas for the Kochi Smart City programme. During a joint session organised by the Belgium Embassy in India, Brussels Invest and Export, Kochi Corporation and Cochin Smart Mission Ltd on Monday, presentations and B2B (business-to-business) discussions were held on various urban development components, including waste management, e-governance solutions, public transport, public space management, energy, industries, street lighting and engineering solutions for infrastructure development.
The representatives of five major Belgian companies made presentations based on which the interactions were held. Mayor Soumini Jain, Mr K.V. Thomas MP, corporation standing committee chairpersons, top officials of government departments and other stakeholders participated.
"The purpose of the trade mission visit is to showcase the best practices from Belgium and to have an exchange of ideas on the future of urban development in our respective cities. Like the cities in Belgium, Kochi invests in assets that will benefit its growth, including infrastructure, urban planning and smart transportation, to become a more integrated and citizen-oriented community," said Mr Jan Luykx.
The technology companies discussed specialised applications for smart parking, traffic management, automatic number plate recognition, disease control and spread of epidemics, tourists' monitoring, tracking drunken driving, sanitation and waste management which will help in the implementation of the Smart City programme. Mr G.P. Hari, DGM, urban transport of Kochi Metro Rail Limited, made a presentation on the Kochi Smart City Mission.
‘Keen to boost trade ties with Kochi’
Belgium is keen on boosting trade ties with Kochi and other South Indian cities and a sister city agreement between Kochi and a city in Belgium is always an option, said Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium to India. Talking to DC on the sidelines of the joint trade mission conference, Mr Luykx observed that Belgium and the South Indian cities have many things in common and mutual cooperation in sectors like waste and sewage management, urban mobility and energy solutions can benefit both countries.
"It's a win-win situation for both countries. Brussels is a densely populated city with heavy traffic congestion. Sharing of technology and expertise in urban development will benefit Kochi which is a true advocate for Smart City development in India," he observed. "As of now we have no solid plans on initiating a twin city programme with Kochi. However, we are interested for such a partnership. Now, our focus is on supporting Smart City programme, in which integrating IT to urban development is a major objective," he added.
