The IMD World Competitiveness Center’s Smart City Observatory in Switzerland and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have released the first edition of the IMD Smart City Index 2019, which ranks 102 cities worldwide.
The Top 10 smartest cities in 2019 are:
- Singapore
- Zurich
- Oslo
- Geneva
- Copenhagen
- Auckland
- Taipei
- Helsinki
- Bilbao
- Dusseldorf
The index was created by focusing on how citizens perceive the scope and impact of efforts to make their cities smart, balancing economic and technological aspects with humane dimensions. The researchers surveyed 120 residents, chosen at random, in each city. Each survey had 40 questions, mainly focusing on infrastructure and technology and relating to health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities for work and education, and governance. Citizens were also asked about their attitudes to the use of personal data, facial recognition, and overall trust in local authorities. A final question asked them to summarize the perceived priority areas out of 15 possible options. The cities’ scores were tallied and each was given a grade from AAA to D. Singapore and Zurich were the only cities to receive AAA scores.
“Smart cities are growing and blossoming in all parts of the world. Economic realities cannot be ignored: cities in poorer countries face disadvantages, which will require specific actions to correct along the path towards smartness,” stated professor Arturo Bris, Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
Ng Chee Khern, Permanent Secretary (Smart Nation & Digital Government) in Singapore, said that the index is useful for policymakers to direct their work to what would most benefit citizens and businesses.
“Other indices focused mainly on experts’ opinions of how well technology is used, rather than on how citizens feel or do not feel that technology is benefiting them. For Singapore, our approach to building a Smart Nation has always been extremely citizen and business-focused to help make Singapore a better place to work, live, and play,” said Khern.