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CATAAlliance Calls on Feds to Create New $300M National Smart Communities Development Fund
Tuesday, September 6, 2016Company Profile | Follow Company
Towards an Advanced Technology Internet of Things Smart Urban Solutions Program
Canada's global leadership for “Smart-Intelligent Cities"? Will Canada's new innovation policy recognize the opportunities for knowledge job creation, investment, foreign trade & national innovation?
“Eighty- two percent of Canadians live in cities and our cities account for 80% of Canada's GDP. Most of Canada's innovation, new business start-ups and our small and medium sized business are in our cities”
Ottawa, ON, August 30, 2016--(T-Net)--CATAAlliance (www.cata.ca), Canada's One Voice for Innovation Lobby Group, has called on the federal government to create a national Smart Communities Development Fund “SCDF” of $300 million to support the digital transformation of our cities and smaller communities and create a new $20 billion export trade business with an enhanced Smart City industrial sector as an integral part of building Canada as a global centre for innovation.
The “SCDF” and its projected results respond to calls by Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism and Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities asking for recommendations to establish Canada as a top ranking competitive innovation nation.
"The world is engaged globally in an economic, social and environmental revolution to a new age, driven by digital transformation" observes CATA CEO, John Reid, adding “Seizing the opportunities to build on our leadership in urban transformation will ensure Canada remains as a leading economic nation with resources necessary to continue as a world leader. We will also be able to build a new $20 billion export business by capturing a mere 2% of the global smart city market. We can do more but $20 billion provides a good base.”
UK Smart City Successes: Greenwhich (video) SCDF Distinguishing Features
Focus on Smart City Demonstrator projects with funds flowing initially to cities and through them to suppliers
Commercialization of solutions being a critical success metric.
Initiative is sustainable over the mid-term.
Oversight and directional support provided by a blended Public-Private Sector Advisory Board of knowledgeable representatives from relevant sectors supported by the academic and research community.
The SCDF objectives to include:
Creating a process for regular calls for proposals from cities and perhaps remote and aboriginal communities to implement demonstrator projects in the smart city field.
Create effective monitoring and follow up processes to ensure the leveraging of demonstrator projects to support Canada's industrial and business Smart City capabilities sufficient to create a competent trade and export capability.
Identify and create processes to ensure an effective Smart City trade development and export market capability
Identify and support other initiatives as necessary to ensure Canada's leadership in the digital and social transformation of our cities.
Positive Outcome & Benefits
An increase in the sophistication and number of globally competitive Canadian Smart Cities.
National benefits from the established characteristics of world leading Smart Cities which are:
Increased outside investment
Increased creation of knowledge jobs
Increased rate of economic growth
Increased levels of innovation and productivity
Increased attractiveness and stability for millennials and other new additions to the workforce
Support and new markets for development and expansion of domestic sources of supply and competency with resultant growth of a substantial export market
Creation of new demand and skills for in-home on-line delivery of community wellness and health care services integrated with urban transformation
Support for meeting Canada's environmental goals through intelligent buildings, street lighting, urban mobility and general adaption of the “Internet of Things”.
Expansion of Canada's promotion of progress in the Smart City movement. In November 2015 Barcelona attracted 40,00 attendees to its World Smart City Congress. Canada was not ranked among global conferences focused on digital transformation of its cities.
Why It Matters!
Video: Bill Hutchison: Chair, i-CANADA Alliance; CEO, Hutchison Management International Inc and Member, CATA Innovation Leadership Council
Hutchison commented, “Digital transformation of life in our cities is creating enormous opportunities. The opportunities are to experience the economic, social and environmental benefits from becoming leaders in digital transformation. Substantial new trade opportunities are also available. The global market is growing rapidly to nearly one trillion dollars per year and growth is accelerating as countries like India move forward with their plan to create 100 new “Smart Cities. Canada has established and impressive foundation in the field but global growth is accelerating and national governments are jumping in to support their cities and to create effective international sales and export capabilities. Becoming an established innovation nation requires effective national participation in the rapidly evolving Smart City movement”.
Reid concluded, “An effective national program will enable Canada to increase its global trade as our Smart City technology and industry develops . The global Smart City market is growing rapidly to nearly one trillion dollars per year and growth is accelerating. Meanwhile, history has shown that the leading Smart and intelligent communities have higher incoming investment, higher rates of innovation and knowledge creation and more economic growth. Social and environmental benefits abound too.”
Mobilization & Engagement: If you have an individual or organizational interest in collaborating with CATAAlliance to mobilize support for a national Smart Communities Development Fund “SCDF”, please contact CATA CEO John Reid at jreid@cata.ca
About CATAAlliance
The Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance) is Canada's One Voice for Innovation Lobby Group, crowdsourcing ideas and guidance from thousands of opt in members in moderated social networks in Canada and key global markets. (No Tech Firm Left Behind) Contact: CATA CEO, John Reid at jreid@cata.ca
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Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATAAlliance)
Ottawa, ON (Non-Tech Sectors)
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