#13 - Competing Metropolises

Not sure if you are aware but we are currently living in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Yes fourth. There were 3 others. This one is the one that is all about automating traditional manufacturing and industrial processes through what we call smart technologies, machine-to-machine communication, and the internet of things. This new way of manufacturing is rapidly expanding to all corners of the Globe and it's not only disrupting old industries but also creating new ones.

What we call Industry 4.0 has led to the development of smart city initiatives in order to make living in cities more sustainable. This is mainly done through the use of advanced technologies whose development is accelerating.

Now as innovators and engineers are racing to build the next iPhone cities are proving to be the perfect environments, rife with talent and a very necessary competitive spirit. Just like the well known business districts of cities we now have innovation districts that are popping up in environments all over the world. San Jose, Barcelona, Tokyo, Huston, Paris, London and many other cities compete on which will attract businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, talent and which will gain the global recognition by establishing itself as a leader in a certain industry or sector.

But what does this all mean, for us citizens? Imagine you are a startup entrepreneur. Which city would you find the most promising to start a new business? This is the question that Roman Pomanzan and Naohiro Miyaguchi tried to answer. With their help we are going to look at the different markets and try to figure out which city is an option, what opportunities and challenges you could meet, and identify their entrepreneurial culture.