Mayor Eric Adams, the self-described “tech mayor,” kicked off the Smart City Expo at Pier 36 on Wednesday, calling on the audience to step up solutions to New York City's problems.
Introduced by Chief Technology Officer Matt Fraser, Adams omitted technical details during his brief remarks, instead focusing on expanding broadband in public housing buildings and using drones for public safety. He called for efforts such as the use of “Technology is more than something we do for economic gain. It's what we do to benefit everyday New Yorkers,” he said.
Following the mayor, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Maria Torres-Springer took the stage. She outlined some specific projects for which requests for proposals and expressions of interest are currently out, such as the Climate Innovation Hub at Brooklyn Army Base and the Life Sciences Center at Kips Bay. Torres-Springer also introduced a more flexible procurement approach that the administration is considering implementing. While a traditional request for proposals typically details the type of solution the government is seeking up front, Torres-Springer said that with “issue-based procurement,” the city would issue a “issue or problem statement” and then invite the private sector to propose their own solutions.
“I know a lot of people here have been working with the government, trying to work with the government, working with the government, banging their heads against the wall, piloting technology. We understand that and we want to make it easier,” she said, but provided few additional details about how challenge-based procurement would work.
Crain's New York Business reported earlier this month that New York City spent $250,000 to sponsor the Expo.
