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Smart cities spur innovation by siting various industries together: Forum

SINGAPORE — Instead of putting companies in the same industry together in the same area, as what most cities are doing, a smart city should look at putting various industries in a cluster so as to spur the formation of ideas or innovations, said panellists at the Founders Forum Smart Nation Singapore today (April 21).

The Founders Forum Smart Nation Singapore held at the Raffles Hotel. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

The Founders Forum Smart Nation Singapore held at the Raffles Hotel. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

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SINGAPORE — Instead of putting companies in the same industry together in the same area, as what most cities are doing, a smart city should look at putting various industries in a cluster so as to spur the formation of ideas or innovations, said panellists at the Founders Forum Smart Nation Singapore today (April 21).

At a discussion titled The Future Of Work In Smart Cities, Mr Rohan Silva, panellist and co-founder of London-based workspace and creative hub Second Home, noted that proximity matters.

“People settle into their own industries (in the same area), technology with technology people, finance with finance people, fashion with fashion people. But a smart city is where different industries are brought together, and the pot is stirred,” said Mr Silva, who had been described by the British media as the leading architect of the UK government’s technology policies during his tenure as an adviser to British Prime Minister David Cameron.

While the idea of people working from home is often associated with a smart environment, Mr Hiroshi Ishiguro, a professor at Osaka University, said this was not ideal as humans still need face-to-face communication for ideas to flourish.

The panellists also discussed the risk of jobs being replaced by technology. The bright side of automation, however, is that as it replaces certain mundane tasks, the brain is more likely to get stimulated and become more creative, said Sentient Technologies chief executive Antoine Blondeau.

Mr Silva added: “We’ve got to start thinking about creativity as a macro economic imperative ... and help people think how to turn creative ideas into a company.”

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