Smart City.UA hosted an interview dedicated to the challenges and opportunities of the new reality
The head of Smart City.UA, Yuriy Nazarov, hosted an interview on the topic of smart city startups, dedicated to the challenges and opportunities in the new reality. Speaker Michael Lake - President & CEO of The Leading Cities, USA spoke about the United States experience, and whether it is possible to bridge the gap between governments and startups.
Michael Lake has twenty years of experience in the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors, demonstrating the skills of joint leadership, problem-solving, and building the relationships necessary for global competition and achievement of results. The two latest presidents of the United States trusted him to manage the day-to-day operations of the White House. He can create global partnerships with the Governor of Massachusetts, and open projects with international leaders.
He is President and CEO of Leading Cities, a global non-profit organization with operations in 10 countries. Michael forges and develops relationships with municipalities, businesses, and universities around the world, creating a global network of partner cities to deliver urban solutions that effectively address the common challenges facing cities of the 21st century.
As Yuriy Nazarov noted, the topic of startups is now very relevant for Ukraine.
“We have a lot of accelerators, incubators, and funds in Ukraine that are ready to help startups in the initial stages, but not enough real investors. More exactly, there are investors but not all of them want to work with a company registered in Ukraine for political and economic instability reasons. A lot has been said about the lack of startup ecosystems in Ukraine. A powerful ecosystem requires capital (investors, funds), infrastructure, a number of experienced startups, and government support.
For example, in Estonia, companies that were once startups support and help startups grow with their advice and funding. In addition, trust in the Estonian government is high due to the introduction of digital governance. In China, the government is providing startups billions of public investment, boosting economic growth,” Yuriy said.
Michael Lake noted that governments around the world face critical challenges, while entrepreneurs are developing innovative solutions, but the implementation of innovative projects in cities is slow and underwhelming.
“With the right supports systems, and programs in place, cities can reinvent themselves with the help of new technologies, while supporting economic growth and job creation. Leading Cities is a global non-profit organization whose mission is to drive resiliency and sustainability for all by unlocking the potential of the world’s cities.
The AcceliCITY program bridges the divide between startups and governments to bring innovative solutions into the marketplace and improve the quality of life in communities worldwide. This episode will explore the various challenges and limitless opportunities that can be created when governments work with and support entrepreneurs.” Michael concluded.
Photo: UNIT.City is the first innovation park in Ukraine
