In this episode, recorded live at Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona, we are joined by Eddie Copeland, Director, and Genta Hajri, Digital Innovation Delivery Lead at the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI).

London consists of 33 separate administrative areas, which can often lead to fragmented public services. Eddie and Genta explain how LOTI acts as a collaborative layer, helping boroughs use data, technology, and innovation to solve shared challenges together.

The conversation covers impactful initiatives such as 'Get Online London', the city's digital inclusion service, and how improved data sharing is ensuring vulnerable children are auto-enrolled for free school meals. We also explore the practical application of AI in social care to support workflows while maintaining human accountability, and the team's unique use of immersive theatre to build empathy and better partnerships between the public and private sectors.

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Chapters

• (00:00:00 ) - From the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona to London
• (00:03:22 ) - Our guests' backgrounds: meet Eddie & Genta
• (00:06:17 ) - What LOTI does (and how it makes collaboration actually happen)
• (00:10:13 ) - Digital inclusion, made real: the Get Online London playbook
• (00:13:49 ) - Better data, better outcomes: tackling rough sleeping & free school meals
• (00:17:45 ) - AI beyond the hype: practical wins, real risks, and public trust
• (00:26:23 ) - What’s next for LOTI: constraints, advice to suppliers, and lessons learned
• (00:34:36 ) - Podcast Segment: Flip the Script
• (00:38:41 ) - Recurring Question: To you, what is a Smart City?