City Lights

Delegates at this week’s IoT Expo at Olympia took time to discuss the cities of tomorrow. These cities are close enough for us to see. We can see their lights, and they dazzle us.

Not satisfied with having our lives made easier, safer and more fulfilling by the use of smart devices, we see a future – a near future – of interconnected transport, optimum and eco-friendly use of energy, and a skilled workforce, many of whom will be employed in newly created, hi-tech roles.

Some initiatives will come from government and some from the business community. Ideally public and private sectors will work hand in hand, because plenty of the challenges we face will need them to. Transport infrastructure will be dramatically affected by the rise of autonomous vehicles, and private and public transportation systems will need to be overhauled and then integrated. When that happens, public safety and quality of life could be boosted beyond recognition.

Many countries already have their flagship cities, of course. Areas of excellence attracting investment, high average wages and productivity, and a receptiveness to the technology that can help them do even better. Some cities get it right, and a wide ranging World Bank report published in 2015 gave us some of the reasons why.

The report identified “competitive” cities around the world where public and private sectors had worked together to good effect. These cities outperformed their countries in terms of economic growth. Typically these cities invest in structural transformation, creating the conditions for success. Government works in partnership with the business community to drive technology, mobility and sustainability.

Job growth is crucial to success, and between 2005 and 2012 the most prosperous ten percent of the world’s cities achieved 9.2 percent annual jobs growth, almost five times the growth experienced in the remaining 90%. And growth and prosperity are closely linked with productivity. In the world’s most powerful and egalitarian democracy, there are huge variations. In San Jose, America’s most productive city, the average worker output is $210,000 per year. In Buffalo, the average worker generates just 40% of that figure. Will a smart, interconnected economy help to level the playing field? And what can the tech sector do to positively influence a region? If you want to see a practical example, take a trip to Coimbatore in Southern India.

When Coimbatore’s regional investment body failed to bring prosperity, the KG Group, an Indian IT conglomerate, stepped up to the plate. KG developed a hi-tech office park in the city and attracted investors by presenting Coimbatore as a low-cost, high-potential site with a skilled, educated, workforce. By seizing the moment, KG attracted names including Dell, Cognizant and Bosch to this unheralded location and helped create over 20,000 jobs. And surely this is a lesson for all of us. When we combine technology and ingenuity – when we are truly “smart” – we can transform the landscape.

Smart cities and smart citizens communicate. That’s something we at Absolute Translations understand very well. Reach out to your community, your industry and the wider world, speak to others in a language they understand and good things will happen. We can see the lights of tomorrow’s cities, and we can help you build them.