As 2019 draws to an end, I have taken a moment to reflect on our work.
I firmly believe we are moving in the right direction on smart cities. We have more energy, commitment and activity than ever before. Smart cities is no longer a nice to have, but rather a core government priority.
I travelled to 15 different countries throughout the year, gathering intelligence and seeking out best practices to bring back to Australia and New Zealand. Our region is doing well in comparison. In fact, I would say we are leading in some areas.
There is however one opportunity that still alludes us – replicating and scaling. This of course is coupled closely with funding and financing.
Our fragmented government, lack of size and other factors may be key challenges, however there are some green shoots emerging.
We are seeing cross jurisdictional collaboration in smart cities emerge, and Australia’s City Deals program offer some hope. With the Smart Cities Project Activator, we believe we can catalyse this opportunity to take our smart cities agenda to the next level in 2020.
We are building a smart cities movement. Join us.
Adam Beck, Executive Director Australia New Zealand
