Innovations in technology are increasingly allowing us to observe and analyse human activity on an unprecedented scale. The valuable data produced and used by such technology can potentially bridge the gap between the users of an environment and those wishing to improve its outputs. How will cities and property owners use this technology, and how can we make sure that it is used for a positive impact on our wellbeing? This event will highlight emerging technology focusing on the human experience, showcase those spearheading innovation, and encourage debate into their adoption and use.
Professor of Connected Environments in The Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis (CASA) at University College London and member of the Smart London Board. Duncan’s research focuses on how emerging technologies such as connected sensors and cognitive computing can augment our understanding of the built and natural environment. A Chartered Engineer with a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Vision from UCL. A constant work thread of his work has been exploring how the internet and the physical world will continue to merge.
Vanessa is passionate about shaping the future of cities to improve everyone’s work and life experience. Working at the intersection of cities and technology, she founded District Technologies, a community and smart building platform for large commercial or residential portfolios that helps owners save time and money. Prior to District, having written her masters thesis at Oxford University on “Understanding the DNA of Strong Entrepreneurial Hubs”, she took her theory into practice by building large coworking campuses (Factory Berlin and Interchange London for Market-Tech). District helps landlords move from “rent” to “relationship” through a best-in-class, artificial intelligence platform and mobile app that connects users to the things they love in and around buildings.
Dr Henry Chan is a project finance and evaluation expert, with 15 years of experience across the entire urban/infrastructure development lifecycle, from planning to construction management. His past projects cover multiple sectors and regions, including urban regeneration in China, underground metro in Brazil, and smart waste management in London. Currently, he is the Impact Assessment Team lead at Future Cities Catapult, a government-sponsored centre to advance the development of urban innovations. The team applies UK and international best practices to assess the economic, environmental, and social impacts of innovative solutions involving unproven technologies. Before joining Future Cities Catapult, Henry was a senior consultant and manager at Arup’s Transaction Advice and City Economics teams in San Francisco and London. His passion is to integrate technology into the built environment to improve everyday life and create a more sustainable future. He holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University.
Savannah de Savary is the Founder and CEO of Built-ID. After graduating from the University of Oxford in 2013, Savannah joined Thor Equities, where she managed NYC real estate development projects. In June 2015 she founded Built-ID, a proptech platform that showcases the built environment projects of today and transforms community engagement to better shape the projects of tomorrow.
Savannah won “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” at the Property Awards and was voted Property Week’s ‘Power 100: Top 20 Ones to Watch’ and one of the Top 20 Proptech influencers in a poll by the UK Proptech Association. She is also a regular columnist for Property Week and sits on the Oxford University Real Estate Society’s committee.
Innovations in technology are increasingly allowing us to observe and analyse human activity on an unprecedented scale. The valuable data produced and used by such technology can potentially bridge the gap between the users of an environment and those wishing to improve its outputs. How will cities and property owners use this technology, and how can we make sure that it is used for a positive impact on our wellbeing? This event will highlight emerging technology focusing on the human experience, showcase those spearheading innovation, and encourage debate into their adoption and use.
