NORTHBROOK, Ill., May 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- UL, a global
safety science leader, will join the Chicago Forum on Global Cities
this week to bring UL's perspective to the future of global cities.
Today's cities face a number of security challenges, such as
cybersecurity and energy grid stability, which leaders must solve
to maintain and build safe and resilient communities. UL CEO
Keith Williams will share the
company's safety perspective on these topics as part of the forum's
panel on "Safer Cities: Security and Vulnerability."
The three-day forum, hosted by The Chicago Council on Global
Affairs and the Financial Times, will bring together
leaders—business innovators, educational visionaries, cultural
luminaries and civic pioneers—to discuss how they can collaborate
to improve their cities. The "Safer Cities: Security and
Vulnerability" panel will convene May
28 and will be live streamed.
Moderated by Gillian Tett, U.S.
managing editor of the Financial Times, the panel will also include
Edward Davis, President and CEO,
Edward Davis, LLC; Mark Filip, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis, and
former deputy attorney general of the
United States; Khoo Boon Hui,
senior advisor, ministry of home affairs, Singapore, and former president of INTERPOL;
and Wong Chun Kau, Jolly, adjunct
professor, Institute of Smart City, Shanghai University and Beijing University of Posts and
Telecommunications.
"Modern cities face a number of pressures in protecting their
ecosystems – from job growth to environmental sustainability," said
Keith Williams, UL CEO. "Mutual dialogue between public and
private sectors – from those who plan and build cities to the
businesses that employ residents – is necessary in order to enable
the optimal well-being of our future cities. While each
representative in a city's ecosystem brings varied perspectives to
the conversation, safety is a critical component in that
dialogue."
Cities invest billions of dollars each year in safe and reliable
infrastructure and systems in order to maintain their populations
and attract new residents. However, a duality of benefits and risks
from new technologies in areas such as data security and energy
grid stability needs to be balanced continually.
Since its inception, UL has been dedicated to promoting safe
living and working environments by understanding both the risks and
opportunities as new innovations come to market. Today, UL's safety
science expertise guides the safe development of the fundamental
aspects of global cities—energy efficiency, data security, and
building and transportation safety. For example, UL works with
public partners to evaluate the impact of energy technologies and
better understand key considerations for the safe design of new
products. Moreover, as the lines between physical and digital risks
in "connected" cities continue to blur, UL is working with
manufacturers to help ensure new technologies and platforms have
security measures designed in to keep individuals and businesses
safe.
As established and emerging cities consider how to compete for
new investment and talent, many in government and the private
sectors believe "connected" and "smart cities" are essential to
differentiation as evidenced by projects such as India's "smart
cities" initiative and smart lighting implementations in France.
"In the global cities movement, each city is defined by its key
strengths and attributes – from sustainability to efficient
infrastructure, which helps attract more companies and people,"
said Williams. "Whatever the city's strengths may be, government
and business sectors will reimagine how they collaborate to address
the benefits and risks in building a safe, smart and resilient
city."
About UL
UL is a premier global independent safety science company that has
championed progress for more than 120 years. Its nearly 11,000
professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working
and living environments for all people. UL uses research and
standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety
needs. We partner with businesses, manufacturers, trade
associations and international regulatory authorities to bring
solutions to a more complex global supply chain. For more
information about our certification, testing, inspection, advisory
and education services, visit http://www.UL.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Michelle Press
Media Relations Manager
UL LLC
Phone: (847)664.1966
E-mail: Michelle.Press@ul.com
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