Sadiq Khan has set out his vision for London to become the world’s leading smart city with a call for the global technology community to help tackle issues like air pollution, housing and the future of transport.
Speaking at the launch of London Tech Week, the London mayor said: ‘My ambition now is to harness the new technologies that are being pioneered right here to transform London into the world’s leading smart city.
Smart thinking from Mayor Khan
‘The potential for cutting-edge technology to tackle a host of social, economic and environmental challenges is immeasurable. From air pollution and climate change to housing and transport, new technologies and data science will be at the heart of the long-term solutions to urban challenges.’
According to a recent report, London is Europe’s leading smart city, but second to New York in the global rankings.
At the same event, Paralympic gold medallists Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Lord Chris Holmes launched the Global Disability Innovation Programme, a new accelerator designed to encourage the development of technologies to improve the lives of people living with disabilities.
Entrepreneurs and start-ups on the programme will focus on the development of innovations in areas such as accessible and affordable housing, transportation and how big data and analytics can be used to have a positive impact on the lives of disabled people around the world.
Ford has announced that it will open a dedicated smart mobility innovation office focusing on future mobility solutions for Europe at the Here East creative and digital campus on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
A team of Ford specialists will work alongside digital companies, academic institutions and existing partners as it targets ‘the near-term commercialisation of smart mobility solutions that meet the needs of Europe’s major cities’.
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