Mipim has lined up a surprise keynote speaker for its 30th anniversary edition: Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The former Korean foreign affairs and trade minister will open the fair with a speech on the ‘new’ challenges facing the world, from climate change and increased urbanisation to pressures on energy and water resources.

These tie in with Mipim’s central theme this year – ‘Engaging the Future’ – which seeks to address the question of how upcoming generations will live and work in increasingly populated urban environments. The fair has put together a decidedly forward-looking conference programme in line with this theme, including elements such as an innovation forum, startup competition and – for the first time – a young leaders’ summit.

Focused on millennials, the summit will take the form of an ‘intergenerational’ discussion based on the results of a public consultation campaign which will give attendees a glimpse of the city of the future. ‘Today’s generation of sharing economy pioneers is constantly calling for more connection and new forms of mobility backed by greater environmental awareness. So the focus will definitely be on the youth, meaning our future, for this 30th edition of Mipim,’ the organisers said.

Various conference sessions and presentations will be devoted to how the real estate industry can contribute to creating a technologically advanced, environmentally sustainable and innovative future. Shifting demographics, climate change and new technologies are all transforming a traditionally conservative industry and the value of a building now lies more in its purpose than its physical construction.

This year’s Innovation Forum will turn the spotlight on disruptive technologies such as the Internet of Things, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and 3D printing. Panellists will discuss how these can be harnessed to optimise real estate processes and profitability across different sectors in a digital era.

For the fourth year in a row, the Mipim Startup Competition, hosted in partnership with global tech partner MetaProp NYC, will reveal the most promising and innovative start-ups currently working to tackle the world’s biggest urban challenges.

The 2019 edition finals in Cannes follow on from Mipim start-up events held last year in Paris, New York, and Hong Kong. Two finalists each were selected from these three events and those six contenders will be presented at Mipim in Cannes, where a final jury will select the three overall winners.