Innovation Acceleration Group at University of California Berkeley Executive Education (UC Berkeley), one of the world's most prominent educational institutions has today announced the launch of Smart City 4.0, a unique initiative that will develop skills for industry, mentor innovators, accelerate technologies and create fundable start ups that work towards developing smart cities in India.
At the heart of Smart City 4.0 initiative is a Co-Innovation lab, which is a unique concept UC Berkeley has pioneered with large corporations in the Silicon Valley and is now bringing to India. The first Smart City Co-Innovation Lab in the country will be established in Allahabad, India, a city that has been identified by the government of India under the 100 smart cities mission
Launched in collaboration with United States India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and IM1B (1 Million for I Billion) the Smart City 4.0 aims to develop skills for the fourth industrial revolution and accelerates technologies from young innovators, start-ups and large corporations to create the best solutions for making cities smart, safe and sustainable.
The Smart City Co-Innovation lab is designed to be a place where large, mid size companies and start-ups will innovate with citizens to create sustainable solutions and co-create last mile business models together. The program will invite young people between the ages of 18 to 29 and students to participate in this initiative. These young innovators will co-create smart city solutions in partnership with citizens of the city, large corporation and the local government.
The areas of focus will be Artificial Intelligence (AI), Water, Energy, Transportation, Waste Management, Healthcare, Climate and Smart Agriculture.
The program will start with the Smart City Challenge in partnership with the prestigious Global Social Venture Competition of UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, through which top 20 student and start-ups will enter the Smart City Co-Innovation Lab. Further top 10 teams in both tracks (Student + Start-ups) will become a part of the UC Berkeley Accelerator. Both the tracks will be mentored by industry experts. The final two teams in Student track will present at The Global Social Venture Competition (the oldest social venture competition founded at UC Berkley's Haas School of Business) in Milan in April 2018, whereas the top 5 teams in Start-up track will present to the Chief Minister of the State Government of Uttar Pradesh in October 2018.
Andre Marquis, Founder, Innovation Acceleration Group at UC Berkeley Executive Education said, "Indian innovators have made a name for themselves globally. The Smart City Co-Innovation lab gives an opportunity to Indian innovators to participate in creating a sustainable model with the government and large corporations that applies to their own cities. This alliance creates a new opportunity to partner with various industries and brings together a diverse group of people to look at how they can make their city a smart city."
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Manav Subodh, Director, International Development, Innovation Acceleration Group at UC Berkeley Executive Education said "The Smart City 4.0 is an initiative designed to, one, create Make in India local solutions to local problems, and second, at a larger level, to develop skills amongst young innovators of India to gear up for the 4th industrial revolution"
Nivedita Mehra, Managing Director of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), "Innovation and Entrepreneurship are important catalysts in the U.S.-India bilateral trade. USISPF is excited to be working on developing Co-Innovation labs with Berkeley, an initiative that seamlessly ties together priorities of academia, industry and the government of India".
Close to 10 MNC's and mid size global companies are expected to partner this initiative.