A new roadmap designed by global experts aimed at addressing the most pressing issues facing cities who want to deploy new technologies and accompanying policies aligned with the World Economic Forum has been launched by the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance.
A recent partnership between technology consulting firm LAB.PH and Hong Kong-based Good City Foundation is bringing the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance initiatives to Philippine shores with the inclusion of the City Government of Manila as one of the “Pioneer Cities” that will collaborate with experts in developing smart city policies.
Manila is distinctly recognized as the sole representative of the Southeast Asian region in the Alliance during the launch of Pioneer Cities activities last November 17th.
“This roadmap is not about theoretical ideas and pipe dreams, it is built on practical, real-world policies from leading cities around the globe. City governments are on the frontline of a global crisis and need to be able to act quickly and decisively to curtail this pandemic and set course for their economic recovery. Technology is an essential tool in this fight but governments cannot risk falling into the usual traps related to privacy, security, and vendor lock-in. That’s where the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance can help,” according to Jeff Merritt, Head of the Internet of Things and Urban Transformation, World Economic Forum.
As cities face urgent challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and other major disruptions, there is an inherent need for data and innovation to become more resilient, responsive, and efficient. However, the lack of a global framework on how cities should use the technologies that might be most effective, or the data they collect adds up to the challenge.
This is set to change this year with the launch of a new global policy roadmap by the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance, with a dedicated program designed to give cities and their key stakeholders a set of well-established policies for how to use new technology responsibly.
“Working with the world’s best and operating on a global standard will ensure that we are forging the best possible path for our citizens and charting the right course for future generations. We are thrilled to work with the G20 Alliance, the World Economic Forum, and our close partners at GCF to provide input and fundamental knowledge to create more opportunities for Filipinos through economic development produced by a combination of technology, investment portfolios and this new policy roadmap which we are jointly developing with our strategic partner, the City of Manila’s LGU,” said Russ Malangen, Chief Strategy Officer of LAB.PH.
Launched in 2018, Good City Foundation started its Emerging Future Cities Network initiative aimed at creating sustainable value through G2G, PPP, and B2G cooperation facilitation. Multiple memorandums have been signed over the past three years to consolidate two resource categories, “Development Projects” and “Financial Resources”. The network comprises emerging cities in Asia and the Pacific, Europe and Africa throughout Annual Meets and programs “Public-Private Partnership by Youth”, with project pipelines of over 30 projects in urban development, real estate, financial technologies, tourism and hospitality, food, fashion, and entertainment industries. LAB.PH has been a consortium member since its second cohort in early 2019.
“The comprehensive upstreaming collaboration of local city government, local technology private sector and young leaders with the global agenda and world-class technology governance and policy experts (with World Economic Forum and G20) means a substantial and motivating milestone for the emerging cities to adopt and learn a more agile public-private partnership. It also inspires the other 2nd and 3rd tier emerging cities in the region of Southeast Asia to take good reference and join the movement of hyper-collaboration,” Kwok Ka Ming Andre, Founder and Chairman of Good City Foundation.
The participating Piooner Cities are as follow:
- Apeldoorn, Netherlands
- Barcelona, Spain
- Belfast, United Kingdom
- Bengaluru, India
- Bilbao, Spain
- Bogotá, Colombia
- Brasilia, Brazil
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Chattanooga, United States
- Cordoba, Argentina
- Daegu, South Korea
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- eThekwini (Durban), South Africa
- Faridabad, India
- Gaziantep, Turkey
- Hamamatsu, Japan
- Hyderabad, India
- Indore, India
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Kaga, Japan
- Kakogawa, Japan
- Kampala, Uganda
- Karlsruhe, Germany
- Leeds, United Kingdom
- Lisbon, Portugal
- London, United Kingdom
- Maebashi, Japan
- Manila, Philippines
- Medellín, Colombia
- Melbourne, Australia
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Milan, Italy
- Moscow, Russia
- Newcastle, Australia
- San José, United States
- Toronto, Canada
More information on the Pioneer Cities Programme and its new policy roadmap are available via globalsmartcitiesalliance.org.