Casablanca's smart city summit 2025: a vision for sustainable urban development

Casablanca is set to welcome innovators, decision-makers, and urban visionaries from across Morocco and Africa on May 21–22, as the city hosts the long-awaited 9th edition of Casablanca Smart City. This event stands as a testament to the city’s growing role in shaping the urban future of the region, according to organizers.

More than just a showcase of digital tools and smart technologies, this year’s edition revolves around a deeper ambition: imagining a city that listens to its people, grows sustainably, and adapts intelligently. The theme, “Smart NexGenCities: Innovate for a Sustainable and Inclusive Metropolis,” speaks to this shift toward human-centered urban development, ensuring progress that leaves no stone unturned.

Casablanca Smart City has evolved into more than an annual gathering; it has become a collaborative space where startups, public institutions, local authorities, and citizens come together to rethink urban living from the ground up.

The 2025 edition aims to build on this momentum, promising a program rich in dialogue and forward-thinking ideas. International experts and local actors will convene in a series of conferences and roundtables to explore smart mobility, civic participation, digital governance, and climate-conscious infrastructure.

A dedicated startup village will spotlight breakthrough solutions led by young Moroccan and African entrepreneurs. Additionally, a 48-hour hackathon will invite 200 youth to address practical challenges in energy, transport, and digital public services.

The summit aligns with Morocco’s broader vision under the New Development Model and the Digital Morocco 2030 roadmap, both of which prioritize human potential and digital transformation as national priorities. By hosting this event, Casablanca reaffirms its commitment to becoming a city that grows with and for its people, positioning itself as a hub for smart technologies and a model for how urban spaces can evolve responsibly, equitably, and ambitiously.

In its 2024 edition, the summit spotlighted sustainable urban development under the theme “From Smart Citizen to Smart Metropolis,” focusing on rethinking intelligent urban development from a sustainable and inclusive perspective, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).