The Tema Mayor, Hon. Yohane Amarh Ashitey   participated in the maiden Seoul Smart Life Week (SLW) 2024 Conference held from 10th– 12th October 2024 in Seoul, South Korea.

The Conference was organized by the Seoul Digital Foundation under the auspices of the Seoul Metropolitan Government brought together various city governments across the globe and featured leading companies in AI, mobility and healthcare aimed at sharing groundbreaking initiatives geared towards citizens benefit from digital revolution and building global network of innovation and progress.

 The Mayor also held a series of meetings with various smart companies to appreciate their products and services for possible collaboration and transfer of innovations.

During the Mayors’ Forum session, the Mayor stressed the significance of holding the maiden Smart Life Week in no other   city than   Seoul and further admonished Local Government Authorities gathered to collaborate and leverage on best practices so they can inculcate the appropriate smart technology in their development plans and demonstrate the political will for its implementation.

To climax the success of the trip, the Tema Mayor brokered a deal with the Seoul Metropolitan Government at the Seoul City Hall to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the two sub-national entities aimed at establishing the foundation for cooperation between the two cities in areas of mutual interest, fostering collaboration on various projects centered on   public transportation operations and enhancement of public services.  Specific focus will be on Bus Management and Information Systems and other relevant transportation technologies as deemed necessary, with a particular emphasis on projects that benefit both parties.

Hon. Ashitey representing Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) and Yoon Jong Jang (Vice Mayor for City Transportation) representing the Seoul Metropolitan Government signed for their respective entities.

Similar MOU was signed with UI Networks, (a consulting firm specialized in Transportation innovation) to collaborate on innovative transport-related projects, with the aim of enhancing urban mobility and making public transport systems more efficient, sustainable, and user-friendly.  Mr. Sunghoon Cho, the President of UI Network signed on behalf of his entity.

In the company of other participants and City Mayors, the Tema Mayor later visited Seoul’s TOPIS (Traffic Information Centre). TOPIS is an advanced transportation information system that allows prompt judgments and responses to be made in times of emergency and predicts and prevents transportation problems before they occur through big data analysis. This provides the avenue for all participants to appreciate and learn from best practices.

Prior to departure on the last day, the Tema Mayor, Hon.  Ashitey paid a courtesy call on Yo-Sik Kang, President of Seoul Digital Foundation where they held discussions that centered on mutual benefits for the two entities.