Our cities, now more digital than ever before

While there is undoubtedly a lot of hype and speculation about what the Metaverse is and is not and what it might become, there are some very studied interpretations of what it might mean. One such is Society 5.0, proposed as a future society that Japan should aspire to:
“A human-centred society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems by a system that highly integrates cyberspace and physical space.”

And now, the leadership of various cities is becoming interested in how to utilise this idea for the common good. In a recent interview, Lena Geraghty, Director of Sustainability and Innovation at the National League of Cities (NLC), explained that:

“The metaverse is definitely the new buzzword in a long list of emerging technology buzzwords, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worthwhile for city leaders to get familiar and comfortable about what it could mean for their communities.”

“The metaverse has real potential to improve city services and the lives of residents if deployed well. For that to happen, city leaders need to be at the forefront of the conversation,” she noted.

Cognitively-enabled spaces

Immersion in the Metaverse will significantly extend the span of our conscious existence, limited only by our imagination.  Our real-world presence can be enhanced, enriched, facilitated and augmented with a virtual overlay that allows us to explore beyond our physical and social boundaries. Seoul was one of the first cities to announce that it will increasingly provide its public services through its own Metaverse platform. Soon after, various Chinese cities followed. So what services could be provided in the Metaverse in the cities of the future?

Virtual tourism

Seoul’s famous tourist attractions, such as Gwanghwamun Square, Deoksugung, and Namdaemun Market, are meant to be virtually created on the platform as a “special zone for a virtual tour.” Even the no longer existent, historical sites such as Donuimun can be renominated – or reincarnated – in this new virtual space. What is more, other tourist attractions, such as the Seoul Lantern Festival, will be held in the Metaverse so that everyone – no matter their location, disability status, or health status – can enjoy it.

“Metaverse is evolving into different forms based on technological levels and user demand. In particular, it is gaining traction as a new paradigm for post-COVID-19,” said Park Jong-Soo, Director General of Smart City Policy Bureau in Seoul.

He continued, “The SMG will pioneer a new continent called the Metaverse Seoul where public demand and private technologies are combined. For all age groups to enjoy the benefits, we will work on the Metaverse Seoul and make Seoul a smart, inclusive city.”

Virtual Education

Metaverse-enabled VR technology is already transforming the education industry in many cities.  The 2015 Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality: 7th International Conference mentioned Google Classroom as an example of augmented reality that can replace the physical classroom.  With an estimated 2.4 billion mobile Augmented Reality users worldwide by 2023, this is a viable channel for many more people to access training and education.

How does it work? AR technologies can help learners explore the real world and subjects interactively, often by displaying related information such as text and videos.  For a child exploring a local park, AR glasses could allow them to identify and learn more about each plant they encounter.  This type of practical learning is highly beneficial for children’s development.

Virtual Healthcare

Metaverse-adjacent technologies will provide new and innovative ways of looking after our health. Shanghai has recently allocated $1.5B to a Metaverse development fund, a part of which is to be spent on healthcare.

A study by Luma Tabbaa et al. (2019) evidenced how VR can help patients with Alzheimer’s disease.  VR tours provide a simulation that has helped dementia patients tap into old memories, resulting in positive mental stimulation and improved social interaction.  Patient recovery of earlier memories has also helped caregivers learn more about their patients’ past lives.  VR environments allow patients to experience things that they would not be able to otherwise, improving their overall well-being and mental health in the process.
In other patients with loss or lack of mobility, VR offers the possibility of exploring the world, and the cities they inhabit, on their terms.

Virtual Architecture

The challenge with the ‘Great Art’ has always been the limitations of turning ideas into reality, both physically and financially. VR changes that and unlocks a new world of possibility.  Architects and designers can play with, test, refine and gauge interest in design concepts in virtual space before physical construction.

3D and VR have been used to bring design concepts to life before they are built and manufactured, and virtual worlds offer new opportunities for very different design concepts.  This has been a popular approach with architects, property developers, and self-builders, who have built walk-though versions of their plans.

In March 2021, ‘Mars House‘ designed in May 2020 by Artist Krista Kim, became the first Metaverse home to be sold (for $500k).  The transparent virtual building was created using the 3D rendering platform Unreal Engine and “can be built in real life by glass furniture-makers in Italy,” according to Krista.

Mars House is a standalone virtual reality experience, which does not classify as virtual real estate per se.  However, the owner can have the design built in the physical world and an infinite number of virtual ones.

Conclusion

We live now in a world where interacting daily, moment by moment, on global digital platforms has become a natural, expected and essential part of our lives.  Today, we assemble and zoom in on each other in virtual offices, make and share digital art in virtual galleries and museums, play games together, and have a well-being workshop, all online. This can be seen as a growing Metaverse. Our cities can – and will – adjust to this new reality, creating augmented spaces that are more accessible, fair, disability-friendly, and above all, democratic.

The post Our Cities, Now More Digital Than Ever Before: Welcome to the Metaverse appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The Metaverse will make Dubai’s economy smarter

There are currently over 1,000 companies in the metaverse and blockchain sector that are based in Dubai; a considerable number indeed. As the city modernises its virtual sector laws, it aims to support more than 40,000 virtual jobs by 2030 and add $4 billion to Dubai’s economy in five years.

For this reason, the emirate has recently announced the formation of a Higher Committee for Future Technology and Digital Economy chaired by His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai. 

“We are working as a team to enhance Dubai’s position as a global birthplace and research laboratory for future technologies and one of the world’s top 10 metaverse economies, in line with the Dubai Metaverse Strategy,” said the Prince.

The Committee’s main goals will be to design policies and supervise the implementation of strategies related to the metaverse, AI, blockchain, Web3, virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), the Internet of Things (IoT), data centers, and cloud computing.

The Metaverse companies

Dubai’s strategy has already started to pay off. Just recently, the crypto exchange Bybit has moved its global headquarters to Dubai, while Crypto.com and FTX have both announced that they would also move to the city.

What is more, some of Dubai’s largest companies are starting to enter the Metaverse market.

Amongst others, according to Fortune, 

“Dubai-based airline Emirates said in April that it would expand its use of the metaverse and NFTs. Damac Group, a conglomerate of businesses including global property development company Damac Properties and fashion house Roberto Cavalli, said in April it would invest $100 million to build digital cities in the metaverse. And UAE health care firm Thumbay Group plans to release a metaverse hospital by October of this year, where patients can consult with a doctor virtually”.

Beyond the Metaverse, the strategy that the Prince is promoting aims to support 5 main pillars: extended reality (which combines the physical and virtual worlds), augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and digital twins (a virtual representation of an object or system).

“The technology pillars of the strategy are data, network, cloud, and edge computing, which focus on real-world data acquisition, validation, storage, processing, and management. Other pillars include promoting full 5G network deployment to enable edge computing and provide on-demand computer system resources. Instead of using the cloud, edge computing allows data to be collected, stored, and processed locally via smart devices and local networks.”

The smart-city revolution in the Metaverse

All of the past year’s achievements have enabled Dubai to, for the second year in a row, ve ranked as the smartest cities in the Middle East and North Africa region, as per the Smart City Index 2021. Compared to 2020, the Emirati city climbed up 14 places globally. 

Apart from the Metaverse strategy, the recent Dubai Plan 2021 aims to make Dubai a smart and sustainable city. The strategy’s goal is the transformation of about 1000 government services which focus on six key sectors namely: transportation, infrastructure, communications, economic services, urban planning and electricity.  

As His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai has planned, the main products which will be supported include:

“Smart life, which deals with health, education, transport, communications, public utilities, and energy services. Smart economy, which deals with developing smart companies, port services, smart stock exchanges, smart jobs. Smart tourism, which deals with providing a smart and convenient environment for visitors to the emirate, including visa, flight, smart gates, and smart hotel services.”

Beyond the technology tools, Dubai has a happiness agenda. According to the official Digital Dubai website:

“We want to make Dubai the happiest city on earth. As we transform the future of Dubai through smart technology and innovation, we have prioritised happiness as our primary goal. By addressing the fundamental needs of our residents and visitors, we can enhance everybody’s short- and long-term happiness and wellbeing, and create a global benchmark for other cities to follow our lead.”

The Metaverse regulations

Dubai is the world’s first and only jurisdiction which has set up a dedicated virtual assets regulator. In March 2022, the Crown Prince introduced Dubai’s Virtual Assets Law (VAL) and established the VARA; a clear example of Dubai’s leadership in this sector. 

As he explained:

“The VARA regime is structured to catalyse collaboration and prioritise public protection. Our mission is to provide a progressive regulatory framework that can securely enable borderless economic opportunity across the global virtual assets Industry. Dubai is a global leader in adopting and adapting to new technologies. With VARA, the emirate is well-positioned to lead the global adoption and regulation of digital assets.”

The law manages to provide some clarity, investor and economic protection, as well as transparency, so companies can operate lawfully whilst at the same time complying with AML-CFT considerations in this rapidly growing domain.

His Excellency Helal Al Marri, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority that is home to VARA, explained: 

“Virtual assets are transforming the financial world and are set to be the primary drivers of the future global economy. Establishing the world’s only independent regulator for virtual assets is symbolic of Dubai’s confidence in the potential of this sector.”

If Dubai indeed manages to increase its number of virtual jobs by fourth-fold by 2023, that is yet to be seen. Regardless, the groundwork has already been laid. There is no city currently (or country) that is taking the Metaverse so seriously which will likely allow it to reap the rewards in the future. It will be interesting to see if other countries will follow suit. Above all, Dubai can be called a truly “smart” city.

The post Dubai’s Crown Prince Vows to Add 40,000 New Jobs to Its Economy, in a New Metaverse Strategy Overhaul appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Tokenization is the process of replacing sensitive data with unique identification symbols that preserve all the essential information about the data without threatening its security. City tokenization is a process where some forms of assets are converted into a token that can be moved, stored, or recorded on a blockchain. This might sound complex but tokenization is turning a meaningful piece of data, such as an account number, into a random string of characters called a token that has no meaningful value if breached. Tokenization, minimize the amount of data that a business need. It has become a popular way to reinforce the security of credit card and e-commerce transactions, for small and medium businesses. At the same time, it minimizes the cost and complexity of compliance with industry standards and government regulations. Tokens act as the reference to the original data, but cannot be used to estimate those values. Because, unlike encryption, tokenization does not use a mathematical process to transform the sensitive information into the token. There is no key, or algorithm, to use to derive the original data for a token. Instead, tokenization uses a database, called a token vault, which stores the relationship between the sensitive value and the token. The real data in the vault is secured, often via encryption. Smart cities tokenization substitutes sensitive information with equivalent no sensitive information. Token – Smart City Solutions helps Making Smart Cities Smarter

Making Smart Cities Smarter

In smart cities tokenization the token value can be used in various applications as a substitute for the real data. When the real data needs to be retrieved, the token is submitted to the vault and the index is used to fetch the real value for use in the authorization process. For the end user, this operation is integrated by the browser or application nearly instantaneously. The advantage of tokens in city tokenization is that there is no mathematical relationship to the real data they represent. Tokenization technology can be used with sensitive data of all kinds, such as bank transactions, medical records, criminal records, loan applications, stock trading and voter registration. To make token more useful, some considerations can also be given to the design of it. For example, the last four digits of a payment card number can be preserved in the token so that the tokenized number can be printed on the customer’s receipt so they can see a reference to their actual credit card number. The printed characters might be all asterisks plus those last four digits. Because of the security purposes in this case, the customer only has a token, not a real card number.

Token – Smart City Solutions

The concept of Token – Smart City Solutions in the payment card industry, tokenization is one means of protecting sensitive card data to fulfill with industry standards and government regulations. For making smart cities smarter tokenization is used to protect credit card data, bank account information and other sensitive data. Payment processing use cases that tokenize sensitive credit card information, including mobile wallets like Android Pay and Apple Pay, e-commerce sites, and businesses that keep a customer’s card on file. How smart cities tokenization works? Tokens are created in several ways like using a mathematically reversible cryptographic function with a key, using a nonreversible function such as a hash function, and using an index function or randomly generated number. To making smart cities smarter the token becomes the exposed information; so, the sensitive information that the token stands in for, is stored safely in a centralized server known as a token vault. The token vault is the only place where the original information can be mapped back to its corresponding token. So far it is cleared that tokenization works by replacing the valuable data from your environment with tokens. In any business there are at least some sensitive data about different subjects including credit card data, medical information, social security numbers, or anything else that requires security and protection.

City tokenization ; What are tokenized stocks?

In smart cities tokenization tokenized stocks are digital representations of shares in publicly traded firms like Tesla, Apple, and Facebook. The value of these digital tokens is based on the value of the basic asset. But how does tokenized stocks work? Tokenized stocks are similar to standard shares purchased in a listed company, except that tokenized shares are in the form of digital tokens. In different trading platforms, some tokenized stocks are backed by the underlying traditional equities and redeemable, and others simply track the prices of the equities. Tokenized stocks can be purchased with cryptocurrencies on supported trading platforms, allowing you to invest and build wealth in the stock market without any barriers to entry. Making smart cities smarter is to improve people’s lives in areas as policy efficiency, social and economic quality, and maximizing the social inclusion of their inhabitants. Token – Smart City Solutions help cities to provide better services. City tokenization increases government efficiency and help them to tackle major challenges. The ultimate goal of city tokenization is creating a more livable, sustainable and prosperous city or community.

Smart cities tokenization

The goal of the smart cities is to promote basic infrastructure and offer a dignified quality of life to its inhabitants, a sophisticated security system, a clean and sustainable environment and the application of intelligent solutions that improve the operation and efficiency of the city. Tokenization in blockchain refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, also known as a security or asset token. Blockchain tokens are digital representations of real-world assets. When a real-world asset is represented digitally as cryptocurrency, it is actually tokenized. Some of the most common smart city projects for making smart cities smarter include smart lighting, smart transportation systems, and smart utility metering for electricity and water. Tokenization has existed since the beginning of early currency systems, in which coin tokens have long been used as a replacement for actual coins and banknotes. The concept of tokenization is the same as in digital tokenization to act as a surrogate for a more valuable asset.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post The Future Of Cities: The Rise Of Tokenization appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The world today stands at the conjecture between the real and digital world, ready to welcome the phenomenon called the Metaverse. It is through the blend of the two worlds that humanity is believed to progress to new meaningful heights. A digital twin is an initiative to realise this velocity and provide an entry point to this vast immersive world. This is a secure way to introduce a real-world space that is dimensionally precise into the virtual mirror world of the Metaverse.

IBM’s version of a digital twin is “a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle, is updated from real-time data, and uses simulation, machine learning, and reasoning to help decision-making”. In other words, it is a virtual model that is designed in such a manner that reflects an object in the physical world. For instance, the data collected from a packaged food manufacturing unit by various sensors (that measure its performance through parameters like efficiency, input, output, etc.) is applied to create its digital copy (or twin). This virtual model operates in a simulated environment to generate valuable insights about its performance.

The digital twin solution on the Metaverse

Real-world is a complex cluster of spatial elements, coordinating with biotic and abiotic components in a dynamic way. A digital twin, thus, mirrors the real world with similar characteristics, processes, integration, and composition, thereby simulating its capabilities.

A digital twin in IoT seamlessly integrates with data analytics for a plethora of applications- maintenance prediction and fault detection, smart city technologies, intrusive surgery and diagnostics in medical and healthcare, traffic management, viability and efficiency of manufacturing processes, and fault analysis, to name just a few.

Stefano Corazza, head of augmented reality at Adobe says, “We have a very diverse pool of customers, and they are all trying to establish their standard workflow to get to high fidelity digital goods. The one thing they all have in common is the need for the creation of digital twins for all the goods that the brand is representing”.

A Metaverse version consists of multiple digital twins combined to form a composite digital twin technology.

The digital twin economy

According to a report by Grand View Research, the size of the digital twin market is anticipated to reach $86.09 billion by the year 2028. This growth is majorly driven by the use cases under Industrial Revolution 4.0 (4IR). The increasing demand for Industrial IoT solutions, asset health optimisation (and predictive maintenance), large-scale smart city infrastructure, and energy efficiency (and carbon-neutral economy).

For example, Smart cities, alone, are estimated to account for 2 billion sensors and connected infrastructure. This creates an extensive avenue for the development of digital twin technology, creating virtual cities over the Metaverse.

The privacy concerns with digital twins

Privacy concerns always surface where there is personal data in the picture. Behavioural assessments, the successful culmination of training programs, and 360 surveys are all examples where data has empowered digital twin technology. Maintaining transparency with scrutinised accessibility is the key to a healthier Metaverse with ‘twin’ versions.

Other threatening issues that need to be dealt with are- Intellectual Property theft (hacking of the digital twin blueprint), non-compliance of data, and disrupting the integrity of personal information. A digital twin is two-way communication between the physical and the digital world. This means that traditional methods of security are not enough to keep the systems and data safe. Protective measures for hardware and software need to be stepped up, that are customised based on the nature and scale of the application.

In addition, data governance (parameters and policies) ensures the range of privacy levels, strictly based on data management strategy. This dictates the responsibilities during the lifecycle of data- engineering, analytics, and computation. Governance processes like masking, differential privacy, encryption, redaction, and lifecycle management are the avenues to which privacy products can be effectively applied.

A holistic approach based on the needs of the digital twin technology and the principles of the business vertical is the key to securing trust and popularity for a better Metaverse experience.

Our Future with Digital Twins

Clearly, the world is witnessing a fundamental upgrade in the existing operating models. The asset-intensive industry is undergoing a digital reinvention that requires the integration of physical and digital systems- processes, equipment, and facilities. Digital twin technology has become a vital part of this realignment, playing a pivotal role in bringing the Metaverse to reality.

The devotion of exponential cognitive power to the digital twin technology is carving out its limitless future. With new skill sets and learning capabilities, the technology promises to evolve and generate better and more efficient processes.

“The difference that is taking place now, that hasn’t been there in the past, is that we have a platform that obeys the laws of physics and obeys true-to-reality submit scenarios, so it is not just an approximation, it’s not just a representation, but it’s actually something that is true to reality” Richard Kerris, Vice President of the Omniverse at NVIDIA.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Urban Digital Twins Set To Create The First Real-world Metaverse appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

As cities continue to grow in both size and population, redefining human interaction along the way, a framework for human-centric smart city ecosystems has become critical. The urban population is expected to grow by around 7 billion by 2050 and, while this brings immense opportunities, it also creates huge challenges. In such a scenario, the need of the hour is to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities. Cities need to become smarter, bring all stakeholders together, and utilise the latest technological innovation.

Previous models for smart cities have suffered challenges, owing to the shifting dynamics of physical and cyberspaces. The “Blueprint for Smart Cities” redesigns the current model to provide a new social contract with humans at the core. It focuses on extensive coordination between policymakers, universities, industry, and citizens: the four agents that make up the Quadruple Helix Innovation model on which the analysis has been based.

The multilateral feedback systems that exist between these agents are crucial to consider if we are to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Blueprint for Smart Cities is an approach based on the intersection of human and technological aspects of development.

“A smart city does not simply mean ‘smart + city’, but emphasises who is leading the city. This means developing a city by the people, for the people, where the goal is to create a human-centric ecosystem. ‘Blueprint for Smart Cities – A Social Contract’ with citiesabc indexdna provides a way of developing a human-centric ecosystem where physical and cyberspace systems are interconnected to bring about social, economic, political and environmental changes”, explains Her Royal Highness, Princess Katarina de Silva of Yugoslavia and Serbia.

Compiled by citiesabc indexdna and the University of Durham in partnership with University of Surrey, Big Innovation Centre and World Smart Cities Forum and led by Professor Kiran Fernandes and Dr. Atanu Chaurhuri, the Blueprint for Smart Cities advocates a human-focused approach to building smart cities of the future.

The blueprint highlights the dynamics that exist in cities globally between the four agents at the outset of the Quadruple Helix Innovation model. It explores the multidirectional feedback systems that emanate from their respective decisions and understands the complexity of these constant adjustments and adaptations, proposing a framework for the holistic development of cities.

“We realised that smart city indexes operated within a static framework, making the results unreliable and in constant need of updates. Our approach is dynamic, identifying smart cities as human-centric and analysing the multidirectional feedback systems between the different pillars that make up a smart city. We are thrilled to have collaborated with the Centre for Innovation and Technology Management at the Durham University Business School, whose academic insights and deep research were crucial to creating this Blueprint for Smart Cities. In doing this, we hope to set a new standard for future smart city indexes and rankings”, said Dinis Guarda, founder citiesabc & openbusinesscouncil, author.

The report identifies a number of factors for consideration that are outlined as essential to the development of a human-centric smart city alongside technological advancements:

1. Innovation & Technology,

2. People & Human Resources,

3. Wellness, Health, Education & Liveability,

4. Financial Funding,

5. Leadership & Governance,

6. Business Professional ESR,

7. Circular Economy, and

8. Energy Net Neutrality.

According to Dr. Kiran Fernandes Professor at Durham University and co-author of the report, this blueprint serves as a “handbook for developing human-centric cities. The report is in direct sync with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and specifically promotes sustainable, inclusive and resilient economic growth. It ensures productive and decent employment for all. We aim to make our cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable on a global scale”.

“Blueprint For Smart Cities” is an initiative in continuation of the governments’ constant efforts for building smarter and more digitised cities worldwide. It is an enhancement of the global efforts to create sustainable, more habitable smart cities, and ready for the future.

Download the report here

About citiesabc indexdna

Citiesabc indexdna is the data analysis platform powering the dashboards for citiesabc. It is a digital transformation platform to empower, guide and index cities. citiesabc was formed by a team of global industry leaders, academics and experts creating new solutions, lists, rankings and connections for the world’s top cities and populations. citiesabc offers the best of innovation in 4ir, digital transformation, blockchain, AI, NFTs, smart cities technologies and big data.

Along with Durham University and strategic partners, citiesabc indexdna has produced the research “Blueprint for Smart Cities: A Social Contract” which highlights the dynamics that exist in cities globally between the four agents at the outset of the Quadruple Helix Innovation model and propose a framework for the holistic development of cities.

About Durham University

Durham is an international triple-accredited business school. Founded in 1965, we are one of the UK’s longest established business schools and are proud to be integral to Durham University.

Sharing insights, supporting innovation and teaching tomorrow’s leaders. We believe that to succeed in business, you need to get closer to the realities of business – so that’s what we do. We combine our academic excellence, insightful research and exceptional global business connections, to equip our students and alumni to become innovative business thinkers of the future and influential individuals in and beyond their careers.

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, and a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Blueprint for Smart Cities : A Social Contract, A Research Publication by University of Durham and citiesabc appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Born in South Korea during the most challenging times, while it was still recuperating from the traumatic history of colonisation, Jaewon studied his initial years there. He started his career in investment/finance in tech. Progressing gradually, he got involved in projects focusing on smart cities. Sharing his insightful experiences with the listeners, he emphasises holistic wellbeing incorporates societal wellbeing and planetary wellbeing, apart from the individualistic pursuit of happiness.

More Episodes

Professor Yu Xiong At ‘Living With Sunny’: “In China, People Work Hard. It Is Due To Our Work Ethic That China Has Managed To Become A Global Superpower”

Living With Sunny E4: Paula Petry And Her Inspirational Journey – “Fall In Love And Let It Teach You About Life”

LaMondre Pough At Living With Sunny: “In The Midst Of Obstacles That Life Puts You Through, Be Proud Of Who You Are”

Jaewon feels that it is important that we, as citizens of a community take active participation in its wholistic wellbeing. “We usually call it the ‘Transparent Governance System’. Because most of the cities develop by very small group of entities. The Smart Cities is more open to its citizens. I mean, citizens’ involvement in these kinds of activities are more important in the Smart City initiatives”, he emphasises.

Particularly talking about wholistic wellbeing of a Smart City, Singh agrees with Jaewon:

“Smart cities should incorporate into their whole framework, how does the community in the Put the humans at the centre of a Smart City. It is about humanity and humans. It is about enabling something for humanity in a positive way. It’s almost like wellbeing should be a core value of Smart Cities”. 

The ‘Living with Sunny’ YouTube podcast series is co-hosted by Sunny (Gurpreet) Singh and Thomas Power. As seekers of wellbeing, the two interview a range of figures from the worlds of business, medicine, academia, science, technology, and publishing, to explore individual wellbeing journeys and map out society’s progress towards a better, more harmonious world, across various industries.

Sunny strongly believes in the Wholistic Wellbeing concept. That is what this podcast really is about. Wholistic Wellbeing makes you feel better; it is about becoming a better person, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

As a seeker, Sunny has long studied how the use of holistic health can help everyone achieve a feeling of wholeness necessary to their overall wellbeing. He calls this concept Wholistic Wellbeing, which consists of 7 pillars: Emotional Wellbeing, Physical Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing, Financial Wellbeing, Professional Wellbeing, Community Wellbeing, and Planetary Wellbeing.

You can find ‘Living With Sunny’ via YouTube, but also via LinkedIn, Apple, Google Podcast, Spotify, and over 20 podcast directories. Tune into the Living with Sunny podcast on YouTube and Podcast directories. New episodes every Tuesday.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post “The Wellbeing Actually Applies To People As Well As Invisible Entities, Even Companies, Or Maybe Future” appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Smart cities are all about people and digital twins – creating digital avatars of the city – property, infrastructure & connections which transcend geography with data + governance, emotional architecture serving people, businesses. All the challenges and opportunities will be discussed in the upcoming event openbusinesscouncil summit on 9-10 December.

“Men come together in cities in order to live: they remain together in order to live the good life.” — Aristotle

Cities are all about people’s lives. Big social groups of people living and collaborating together. Whether you are in Hong Kong, London, Shangai, New York, Singapore, Tokyo or Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Barcelona. These cities offer the best in the world. Likewise, they are becoming more and more efficient serving many millions of people because of the adoption of smart technologies which is transforming them into smart cities.

And there is a need to have an open conversation about how to best deploy these technologies to serve the people they are meant to help. Experts, decision-makers, business, industries and citizens need to be part of that conversation, and the best and most efficient way to have that direct feedback is through the digital. openbusinesscouncil summit aims precisely to make that conversation take place by bringing together top experts and government officials.

A smart city is all about people and digital twins – creating digital avatars of the city – property, infrastructure & connections which transcend geography with data + governance, emotional architecture serving people, businesses.

Smart cities – The Fourth Industrial Revolution – 4IR are here to stay. There is no turning back. Because of its ubiquitous reach, 4IR technologies raise all kinds of concerns, but offer also a lot of solutions and nations have to adapt and change. 4IR will enable our society and power smart cities with AI, Blockchain, IOT.

Smart cities and 4IR technologies are the heartbeat of the XXI century we are living & creating:

· Smart cities enable better organisation of society, citizens, innovation, technology and data.

· Smart cities are the center of all operations and challenges and opportunities – society.

What makes smart cities?

Smart Cities are the heart of the beating of the best in the world and in the interstice of all challenges, innovation and concerns of humanity.

A smart city is the next stage of cities – intelligent human centric – sustainable – empowered by the 4IR that provides enormous possibilities for human growth through art, culture, social, architectural, economic, political, environmental, and scientific flowering with the optimal mix of nature, technology, humanity, and arts.

All cities will become smart cities. Particularly when it comes to organisation of society, citizens, innovation, technology and data, smart cities are the center of all operations and challenges and opportunities.

Smart cities, like the city states in the past, embed the highest hopes of humanity through the promise of harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) innovative technologies to improve lives and bring social harmony.

However, smart cities represent & can incarnate the challenges, fears of a dystopian ecosystem of over ‘controlled lives’ if not planned properly.

We are however in early stage of smart cities deployments so is up to citizens, each of us, businesses and governments to prepare, create best decisions, directions.

Smart cities are making society unfold in some kind of panopticon system, governed by the emergence and disruption coming out of AI, IoT, Blockchain + automated devices with augmented tools & software inherent to digital transformation systems.

Smart cities require planning and special strategy and efforts from all areas of society and economy.

Smart cities requires the collaboration of many strategic partners, leaders, and special citizens, businesses and government.

Smart cities are the main stage where 4IR technologies special AI, blockchain, IoT can change and improve cities, businesses government infrastructure, buildings and citizens needs!

Smart Cities: Main Challenges

To truly deploy technologies that empower and improve the lives of their inhabitants, smart cities need to take into consideration the following:

· A strategy and social economic and legal frame from government approved by citizens.

· A collaboration between all players: lawmakers, government organisations, universities, schools, companies and businesses, all citizens major groups represented.

· Smart cities need helicopter view data + technology infrastructure sustainable alignment combining policies, governance, business economic supply chain with identity, culture and requirements.

· Using urban planning IOT sensors to aggregate best systems + data that will be manages & expanded by AI, blockchain tech to improve the city operations, health, wellness, education, business, governance ecosystem(s).

“A smart city is an intelligent town that provides enormous possibilities for human growth through art, culture, social, architectural, economic, political, environmental, and scientific flowering with the optimal mix of nature, technology, humanity, and arts.” ― Amit Ray, Peace Bliss Beauty and Truth: Living with Positivity

Smart cities have to be about creating opportunities for citizens, businesses, governments based on ethic, sustainable use of digital transformation tools.

Using the best of all 4IR – AI Blockchain IOT emerging technologies with driven data , policies + R&D strategies that increase the quality of life & a truly optimised human nature sustainable empowering ecosystem.

About openbusinesscouncil Summit

The openbusinesscouncil summit is a cutting-edge global virtual event over two days that aims to strengthen businesses, startups and government’s strategies. Gathering access to a unique audience of 100+ leading global speakers from over 30 countries, the openbusinesscouncil summit offers action plans to deal with the challenges arising from COVID-19 given all the economic and technology disruptions. With businesses and startups facing uncertain times, forecasts of a recession with a drop in sales and limited funding, this summit will kick off by addressing today’s most pressing challenges and identify what’s next for industry and businesses.

The two-day summit, on December 9-10, will provide access to an unique audience of potential partners and clients which include leading global thought leaders, entrepreneurs, startup organisations, accelerators, investors, authors and governments.

The summit has a solid focus on businesses and governments’ digital transformation strategies, and it will provide a road map of solutions, covering opportunities of how to work and collaborate as governments, businesses, cities, citizens and nations move forward with 4IR – Society 5.0. The summit will provide an international business and brand exposure through our media partners.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post openbusinesscouncil Summit To Lead The Conversation About Smart Cities, Data Governance And 4IR Technologies On December 9, 10 appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Over half of the planet now lives in cities, and more than two-thirds of the world’s population will be urbanized by 2050. Cities are pro-actively working across borders to build coalition networks and resist nationalist policies. They contribute to four-fifths of global GDP, and are taking center stage in securing an inclusive, safe, productive, sustainable, and resilient future for humanity.

Smart Cities have emerged as urban ecosystems that integrate digital technology, knowledge, and assets to become more responsive to users, improve city services, and make cities more loveable. Leading the development and re-invigoration of effective, high-performing cities is one of the grandest challenges of our time.

Eden Strategy Institute, in fact, has unveiled the rankings of the Top 50 Smart City Governments globally, from a study conducted in partnership with OXD (ONG&ONG Experience Design), that analyses the diverse approaches towards developing smart cities around the world.

This is the first independent ranking of its kind that investigates the roles that city governments play in leading a smart city strategy, beyond celebrating the technological attainments of the cities themselves.

“Smart Cities are taking centerstage in securing an adaptable, inclusive, productive, sustainable, and resilient future for humanity. Leading the development and re-invigoration of high-performing and loveable cities is one of the grandest challenges of our time,” says Mr. Calvin Chu Yee Ming, Partner at Eden Strategy Institute.

“Governments are eager to explore different ways to integrate digital technology, knowledge, and assets. This study offers unprecedented access to the most effective instruments to help governments become more responsive to users, improve city services, and make cities more loveable,” he explaines.

“Through this study, we hope to provide insight into how city governments can coordinate their smart city initiatives better in ways that reflect a deep understanding of the human condition and the transformative power of citizen ownership and empowerment,” says Mr. Joshua Teo, Associate and Lead at OXD.

This report studied 140 smart cities, from which the Top 50 Smart City Governments were ranked across ten vectors:

1. Clarity of Vision;
2. Leadership;
3. Budget;
4. Provision of financial incentives;
5. Support programmes;
6. Talent-Readiness;
7. People-centric approach;
8. Development of an Innovation Ecosystem;
9. Implementation of “Smart” Policies; and
10. Track Record of previous initiatives and projects.

Finally, interviews were conducted with city officials to validate facts, measure outcomes, and learn about the unique challenges and pathways taken by each city. These insights were featured in the accompanying report as themed observations and city stories.

Top 50 Smart City Government Rankings

The research revealed several interesting findings, including how European cities actively involved their citizens in developing their smart city projects, including the use of joint consultation, co-creation, and participatory budgeting to better attend to the needs of all citizens.

Likewise, American cities scored highly due to a federal government competition which prompted City governments to develop comprehensive, robust, and detailed smart city strategies that focused on urban mobility.

In Asia, six Indian cities emerged among the Top 50 Smart City Governments with smart city plans co-created with citizens, and supported by systematically-planned and mobilized budgets from the central government since 2015.

Large investments in ICT infrastructure, together with highly-integrated public services, helped major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Beijing rapidly scale their smart city projects to millions of citizens.

The ranking also recognized admirable efforts of smart cities at the nascent stage, like Jakarta, Phuket, and Kigali that experimented with integrated data platforms, public-private partnerships, and innovation districts.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Top 50 Smart City Governments Globally appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.