Chinese media firm CTBF leverages culture-focused IoT to drive the building of resilient cities

The seminar, organized by UNDP and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and co-organized by CTBF with the support of the governments of Qingdao, in Shandong province, Dingnan County (a county in the municipal region of Ganzhou, in Jiangxi province) and Chongqing Municipality, took place against the backdrop of China's efforts to accelerate the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and enhanced efforts in urban disaster prevention and mitigation.

Create a new medium for urban culture while helping to promote the technology and culture for the building of resilient cities

During the event, a brief interactive experience based on visual imagery observably piqued the interest of attendees. Zhang Zhiyi, director of the Science and Arts Center at the CAS Institute of Automation, explained that the visual interaction technology, a combination of spectacle imaging, artificial intelligence (AI) and knowledge services, is creating a new driver for the development of regional cultures and economies, as well as helping to facilitate the application of advanced cultural and technological achievements at the grassroots level.

High-precision monitoring technology and equipment, a science-based emergency response system and platform as well as advanced emergency rescue technology and equipment all play a key role in monitoring, early warning and emergency response. Notably, the vastly improved technologies and products, deployed for disaster data processing and information services, rapid disaster loss assessment as well as restoration and reconstruction, provide timely support for post-disaster information collection and delivery, disaster evaluation, resource allocation as well as restoration and reconstruction. The technology can be expected to be widely applied in urban sustainable development programs, including disaster prevention and mitigation.

Co-organizer CTBF director and general manager Guo Jiangang shared his views on urban resilience and sustainable development as well as the goals they hope to achieve as a result of being a co-organizer of the event. He said, "With urbanization well under way all over the world, sustainable development and the building of resilient cities is increasingly becoming a key theoretical proposition that government officials responsible for urban planning and social governance need to entertain. In addition, as a systematic practice, the concept will not only require ongoing improvement in the top-level design, but also the engagement and innovative support of communities. With this seminar, I hope the concept can attract more attention."

Promote the application of advanced cultural and technological achievements at the grassroots level starting with a culture-focused Internet of Things

CTBF is an innovative leader in the culture and technology sectors, co-founded by the Beijing Film Academy (BFA) and the team at CAS responsible for the commercialization of visual products and services. The media firm aims to create a sustainable development-focused ecosystem for the visual products and services industry.

Currently, CTBF is combining its practices relating to culture-based IoT with the application of advanced cultural and technological achievements at the grassroots level with the expectation of an important impact on mass culture. The aim is to gain deeper insights into how cities can promote the culture and technology for disaster prevention and mitigation as well as sustainable and resilient development.

The culture-related IoT, developed by CTBF through the leveraging of its resource advantages, is an important medium for the application of advanced cultural and technological achievements as well as an outlet for content. It includes the development of a unique cultural industry-centric town for the tech and cultural tourism sectors and a culture experience center based on spectacle imaging, as well as the transformation of the city from simply being the home of traditional industries to a focal point for the creation and outward expansion of both the digital and creative industries. The town will also be a locale where innovative practices are created, designed and implemented.

Mr. Guo added, "CTBF is collaborating with UNDP on creating a specific medium for the dissemination of culture-based IoT and a communication platform for urban resilience and sustainable development, with the aim of contributing to the building of resilient cities across China with powerful cultural and technological achievements."

During the event, Guo Xiaodong, professor at the Institute of Earthquake Resistance and Disaster Reduction, Beijing University of Technology and Wen Jiahong, professor at the Department of Geography, Shanghai Normal University gave their respective presentations on the planning, research findings and hands-on experience in terms of building of resilient cities as well as disaster prevention and mitigation. UNDP officials Zhang Sujuan and Zhou Shuwen shared details of their work in the localized commitment to the SDGs and their experience in the construction of smart cities. Their work has provided local governments with valuable guidance and knowledge for the construction of resilient cities.

The seminar also held a guest discussion session on the building of and innovation in the development of resilient cities, attended by Liu Wenguang, deputy director of Shibei district, Qingdao city, Zhu Hao, member of the Standing Committee and deputy chief of Dingnan county, Chen Jin, deputy director of the Beibei District Commission of Urban-Rural Development, Chongqing as well as Wen Jiahong, head of the disaster management division at UNDP in China and professor at Shanghai Normal University. They also discussed the status of resilient construction in the cities where they live and the roadmap for the building and innovative development of local resilient cities, which will help China get off to a good start in terms of urban construction in 2018.

By organizing the event, UNDP will continue to implement its urban resilience program more effectively and encourage CTBF and other organizations to actively create a complete working system chain for promoting urban sustainable development.

SOURCE CTBF (Beijing) Technology Media Co. Ltd