Topic: smart-city-innovation

The Smart Tourism sector has been in the news quite a lot recently. With cities struggling to maintain tourist numbers due to the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, it’s clear that something needs to be done. As a key pillar of any city’s economy, tourism is hugely important.

For the third time, the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge of QBE North America collaborates with the non-profit organization Leading Cities. Start-ups have the opportunity to apply for the accelerator program. Since the smart city startup accelerator program launch, more than 1,500 smart city solutions from over 50 countries have been evaluated.

Semi-finalists of the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge take part in the eight-week virtual accelerator program. For the finalists, the program culminates in a virtual boot camp and a pitch day. The winner will receive USD 100,000 and a pilot project in a city. The start-ups that rank second and third will receive $ 25,000 and additional resources and access to valuable connections to help scale their initiatives. The application deadline is April 30, 2021.

Mobile operators worldwide are investing in 5G networks, and proponents of this much-hyped technology believe it will enable a new wave of smart city development. According to the IEEE, "5G is not just an evolutionary upgrade of the previous generation of cellular networks. It is a revolutionary technology … and a critical piece of the smart city puzzle."

When we think of smart cities, we tend to think in futuristic terms. We often use the language and iconography of futurism to express our visions of what a smart city should look like. But we should also look to the past for lessons and examples of how previous generations handled the challenges of planning and developing urban spaces.

Urban innovators with smart city aspirations rely on university knowledge and resources when addressing complex issues. Through access to research and thought leadership on urban challenges, smart cities benefit from partnerships with universities.

The Changing Face of Urban Innovation

When contemplating the need for urban improvement, cities once looked for efficiency gains, cost savings, and incremental, low-risk innovation to enhance local government operations. Today, urban residents demand much more from city leaders. Wicked urban problems such as homelessness, lack of affordable housing, pollution, congestion, inequality, social and digital exclusion, and environmental threats require bold thinking and a new paradigm in public sector innovation - made possible through collaboration with universities.