The roundtable discussion was organized with the support of the Kazan City Hall.
Best practices for implementing digital services in urban management, transport, social services, and utilities were the focus of a meeting of the Digitalization Committee of the BRICS+ Association of Cities and Municipalities. The event, held on September 17, was dedicated to the theme «How digitalization is transforming cities» and was moderated by Evgenia Lodvigova, Deputy Mayor of Kazan.
The opening address was delivered by Washington Luis Cardoso Siqueira, Mayor of Maricá (Brazil) and President of the Brazilian Association of Municipalities. He emphasized the importance of international cooperation for the development of «smart cities.» The roundtable brought together experts from Argentina, Brazil, China, Ethiopia, Iran, Russia, and Turkey, with participants joining via in-person presentations, video messages, and online connections.
Kazan presented case studies on school nutrition programs and municipal service management. A presentation on the digitalization of the social sphere was given by Guzel Mukhametshina, Director General of the Department of Food and Social Nutrition of Kazan. The experience of Tatarstan cities was also shared by Radmir Belyaev, Head of the Executive Committee of the Nizhnekamsk Municipal District, and Dmitry Vandyukov, Mayor of Innopolis. Dmitry Ageev, Deputy Head of the City for Development of Road Transport Infrastructure and Digitalization of the Chelyabinsk City Administration, spoke on digitalizing road transport infrastructure, while Denis Lung, Digitalization Advisor to the Vice-Governor, St.Petersburg Government, discussed strategic approaches to the digital transformation of a metropolis discussed strategic approaches to metropolitan digital transformation.
In a video message, Yaghoub Houshyar, Mayor of Tabriz (Iran), shared insights on integrating smart systems into the historical urban environment, which is especially relevant for ancient cities with rich cultural heritage. Approaches of Turkey to creating a comfortable urban environment were outlined by Mustafa Bozbey, Mayor of Bursa Metropolitan Municipality, and Sıla Bükülmez, Head of Strategy Development Department of Eskişehir. Zhang Yaobin, Vice Mayor of Qiqihar (China), and Li Gang, a representative of Guangzhou, spoke about their experience in implementing large-scale IT solutions in the field of public administration and digital data. Chinese experiences with large-scale IT solutions in public administration and digital data were presented by Zhang Yaobin, Vice Mayor of Qiqihar Municipal People’s Government, and Li Gang, a representative of Guangzhou.
Argentina was represented by two speakers. Santiago Barassi, Secretary of Citizen Development of Rio Grande, discussed using digital platforms to improve citizen engagement in remote regions. Lautaro Lorenzo, Secretary of International Affairs of the Esteban Echeverria Municipality, highlighted the role of international municipal associations, particularly Mercociudades, in promoting digital solutions and strengthening cooperation between cities on different continents.
Special attention was paid to projects involving digital twins, intelligent transport systems, and IT platforms for citizen interaction. Participants agreed that inter-city cooperation is crucial for accelerating the adoption of promising technologies and avoiding common pitfalls.
The event also attracted online participation from representatives of Burkina Faso, who showed keen interest in the digital solutions presented. Among the in-person attendees were delegations from Almaty, Kazakhstan, as well as from Russian cities — Rostov-on-Don, Samara, and Ufa.
In conclusion, participants determined that digitalization represents not merely the introduction of technology, but a comprehensive transformation of urban spaces aimed at improving the quality of life. There was strong interest in further cooperation within the BRICS+ Association of Cities and Municipalities to jointly create cities of the future.
The first meeting of the Committee on Digitalization was an important step in coordinating efforts to integrate digital technologies into city administration. This opens up opportunities for jointly developing digital solutions to make urban services more accessible and governance more effective.
The roundtable was held as part of the International Forum Kazan Digital Week-2025, which aims to facilitate the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge and to unite expertise capable of advancing import substitution and ensuring technological sovereignty.
