Singapore, Stockholm and Seoul top-ranked in Ericsson’s Networked Society City Index
· Ericsson and Arthur D. Little present the Networked Society City Index, ranking 25 cities according to ICT maturity and development
· By showing how top-performing cities successfully use ICT to grow, Ericsson and Arthur D. Little aim to inspire and contribute to a global Networked Society
- City mayors, local authorities and decision makers can use the framework ranking to meet the growing urbanization trend and enable organizational and societal success
Stockholm, 12 May 2011
The Networked Society City Index – established through a joint study conducted by Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and management consultancy Arthur D. Little and presented on May 10 at Ericsson’s Business Innovation Forum in Silicon Valley in the US – shows that cities with a high level of ICT maturity are better able to manage issues such as environmental management, infrastructure, public security, health-care quality and education.
Erik Almqvist, Director at Arthur D. Little Nordic, says: “Building a Networked Society is one of our time’s great challenges for mankind. Although this analysis should be seen as a humble starting point to explore the link between ICT investments and sustainable development, it is our joint hope and intention that this report can serve as inspiration for cities that do not settle for the status quo.”
The three best-performing cities presented in the index – Singapore, Stockholm and Seoul – have successfully met many social, economic and environmental targets by making extensive investments in ICT. Singapore, for example, is aggressively driving innovation in e-health, and is a pioneer in traffic-congestion management. Stockholm sees ICT as a major enabler for research collaboration and knowledge transfer, while Seoul is using ICT to realize green high-tech initiatives.
The index also suggests actions for low-ranking cities, which are encouraged to provide digital access and ICT training for the underprivileged parts of their populations to reduce the digital divide.
Today, more than 50 percent of the world’s population live in urban areas. By 2030, that percentage is expected to grow to about 60. The number of megacities (defined as cities with 10 million inhabitants or more) is expected to rise to more than 30 by 2030, representing an increase of about 40 percent. As the number of megacities rises, key decision makers will be better able to ensure that this growth is sustainable if they can learn from the successes of top-performing cities in the Networked Society.
Wilhelm Lerner, Director at Arthur D. Little Central Europe says: “Ericssons “Networked Society City Index” is an exciting example of Arthur D.Little’s competence to link strategy, technology and innovation to transform business and society. As part of global initiative dedicated to urban development Arthur D. Little will release shortly a study on the “Future of urban mobility” “.
Erik Kruse, from the Networked Society lab at Ericsson, says: “By providing examples of how ICT can promote a city’s growth, the index can be used to inspire dialog with decision makers to use ICT to enable organizational and societal success – from economic, environmental and social perspectives.”
The top-10-ranking cities in the Networked Society City Index are: Singapore, Stockholm, Seoul, London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Shanghai and Beijing.
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Founded in 1886 as the world’s first consulting firm, Arthur D. Little has continually transformed business thinking and practice by applying its expertise in the areas of strategy, innovation and technology. Today, Arthur D. Little helps companies to create growth, overcome challenges, improve innovation capabilities, and increase efficiency and competitiveness in a globalised marketplace.
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Ericsson is the world’s leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. Ericsson is the leader in 2G, 3G and 4G mobile technologies, and provides support for networks with over 2 billion subscribers and has the leading position in managed services.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of being the “prime driver in an all-communicating world” through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 90,000 employees generated revenue of SEK 203.3 billion (USD 28.2 billion) in 2010. Founded in 1876 with the headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ New York.
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