The North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) – a new regional smart city initiative – has been created to bring together cities, counties, municipalities, and agencies to address various challenges with innovative solutions. The non-profit was founded by Trey Bowles and Jen Sanders – the Co-Founders of the Dallas Innovation Alliance. NTXIA has the goal of improving quality of life, promoting inclusive economic development, and increasing resource efficiency.
“These are big, meaty challenges, and it takes more than a village,” Sanders says. “It takes all of us: It takes a region.”
The group plans to establish strategic advisory committees to collaboratively tackle issues in the North Texas region. Planned topics include data standards and privacy, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, financial models, and procurement.
Founding members of NTXIA include: Addison, Allen, Arlington, Coppell, Corinth, Dallas County, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, Dallas Regional Chamber, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, Frisco, Garland, Irving, McKinney, McKinney Economic Development Corporation, North Texas Commission, North Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Plano, Richardson, and the Texas Research Alliance.
“As a group, we ask ‘What are the five biggest challenges or problem statements facing the region,” Sander says, “We design projects to test in those five areas, opening up for idea generation and submissions, then move toward execution.”
The founders believe that the power of NTXIA is in its regional approach. In leveraging resources, building connections, and sharing best practices, cross-jurisdictional solutions can be established throughout North Texas, and then serve as a model for other areas.
“Smart city collaboration is now moving beyond municipal boundaries, with more and more regions working together in order to create seamless interchanges for their residents,” Sanders says.