CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

Half the world’s population lives in cities. By 2050, that proportion will grow to three-quarters — with most of the growth in developing countries. At a time of unprecedented urbanisation, incremental remedies are no longer are sufficient. Urban areas need transformative solutions to provide the essential services and infrastructure for people to move out of poverty and start to prosper.

The Financial Times and IFC, the largest global development institution focused on the private sector, are bringing together the world’s leading thinkers and decision-makers from the private and public sectors for a focused discussion on innovations that can address the challenges of urbanisation — in ways that can strengthen economic growth and improve lives for generations to come.

The discussion focuses on three interconnected topics — the future of cities, the demand for energy, and the transformative opportunities that technology can deliver. This major conference will set the scene for the inaugural FT/IFC Transformational Business Awards dinner being held on the evening of June 12.