Singapore was followed by Stockholm, with Seoul completing the top three. Manila was at the bottom rung of the list in 21st place, below neighboring Jakarta which was at the 19th spot.
The index – established through a joint study conducted by Ericsson and management consultancy Arthur D. Little – showed 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, said: “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.
The study said more than 50 percent of the world’s population lives 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.
Erik Kruse, from the Networked Society lab at Ericsson, said: “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.”
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Quelle/Source: Newsbytes Philippines, 14.05.2011
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