AUSTIN, Texas, April 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While COVID-19
posed significant hurdles to cities worldwide, it also accelerated
a wave of innovation that will continue after the crisis, shows the
new "Smart City Solutions for a Riskier World" study. The ESI
ThoughtLab research, sponsored by Oracle, Deloitte, Intel, and
others, underscores the vital role technology, data, cybersecurity,
and public-private partnerships play to ensure a healthy, safe, and
prosperous future for citizens in the wake of the pandemic.
The research, conducted in August and September 2020, included a survey of senior
officials from 167 cities across 82 countries, including in
Asia, North and Latin America, MENA, Europe, and Africa. The cities represented 526 million
people or 6.8% of the world's population and ranged in size from
less than one million inhabitants (39% of the cities) to nearly 27
million. Fifty-three percent of those metropolises are in emerging
markets and 47% in developed countries. Cities were assessed and
categorized based on progress in two categories: progress in
applying smart solutions, with cities being classified as either
"beginner," "intermediate," or "leader;" and progress on the United
Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with cities
classified as either "implementer," "advancer," or "sprinter."
Cities that excelled in both areas are considered Cities
4.0—defined as hyper-connected cities that are both sustainable and
well ahead in the use of technology, data, and citizen
engagement.
To learn more, visit https://www.riskierworld.com/.
For city officials, the pandemic proved that smart city
programs are imperative
- 65% of city leaders noted the biggest lesson learned during the
pandemic was just how crucial smart city programs were for their
future.
- 43% learned the importance of operational continuity and
agility.
- 37% of city leaders said COVID-19 highlighted the need to
invest more in upgrading core infrastructure.
Cities are placing bets on tech, especially on cloud and AI
- 88% of city leaders identified investment in cloud platforms as
the most urgent requirement needed for the successful delivery of
critical and non-critical citizen services.
- 66% of cities are investing heavily in AI and 80% will do so
over the next three years, especially in the area of digital
assistants and chatbots. North American (83%) and small cities
(74%) lead in AI use.
- 31% of cities will invest in digital twins – a 300% increase
from the 11% investing in this technology today.
- 100% of Cities 4.0 have already made hefty investments in
cloud. Based on reported ROI estimates, the average return on
digital infrastructure investments made by Cities 4.0 is
5.74%.
"We are seeing that the more successful cities are focusing on
emerging technologies that have a direct impact on service
delivery, such as cloud computing, AI, and digital assistants,"
said John Tuohy, director, Smart
Cities strategy, Oracle. "Providing remote access to staff and
residents is crucial for maintaining business continuity."
Many cities are spooked by cybersecurity; smart cities have a
high level of confidence
- 60% of city leaders do not feel that their cities are safe from
cyberattacks, international or domestic, due to vulnerabilities
stemming from financial constraints, a shrinking IT talent pool,
and other factors.
- 95% of Cities 4.0 ensure that cybersecurity is accounted for
early on in projects.
- 95% of smart city leaders cited the highest level of confidence
in their cybersecurity, compared with just 8% of cities who were
classified as beginners in the smart city journey.
The need for collaboration is clear and city leaders are
prioritizing partnerships
- 50% of city leaders noted that finding the right partner -
private or public sector – was one of their biggest hurdles to
meeting their city's goals.
- 83% of cities want their partners to offer solutions that
enable a high level of innovation, while also ensuring safety and
security (65%). North American cities (92%) and European cities
(92%) value innovation the most.
- 79% of officials indicated that price was not the top concern
in evaluating smart city proposals. Cities just beginning to make
progress on the United Nations' SDGs (41%) and those in
Africa (47%) are more cost
conscious than their counterparts in other regions.
Download the report here.
About ESI ThoughtLab
ESI ThoughtLab is an innovative
research firm providing fresh ideas and actionable insights through
rigorous data analysis. The team of 30 economists and subject
matter experts specialize in assessing the impact of technological,
economic, and demographic shifts on companies, industries, and
cities. Learn more at www.esithoughtlab.com.
About Oracle
Oracle offers suites of integrated
applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle
Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit
us at oracle.com.
Trademarks
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks
of Oracle Corporation. Other names may be trademarks of their
respective owners.
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SOURCE Oracle