Singapore beats Hong Kong in global smart city rankings

The SAR ranks 18th globally whilst the lion city is second only to London.

Hong Kong is miles behind close regional competitor Singapore as it ranks as the 18th smartest city in the world, according to Smart City report by Eden Strategy Institute.

Also read: 7 in 10 executives believe Hong Kong is being outpaced by other smart cities

The report lauds Hong Kong’s strong governance frameworks and initiatives to boost the productivity of smart industries. It cited the government's US$6.5m allocation for the Retail Technology Adoption Assistance Scheme for Manpower Demand Management (ReTAAS) to encourage technological adoption amongst small retailers as well as the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund. 

The government earlier unveiled the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong last December which maps out the city’s development plans in an effort to transition into a world-class smart city in the next five years.

Hong Kong’s efforts, however, tame in comparison to Singapore’s comprehensive Smart Nation project which was funded by a US$1.75b budget in a four-year period. The lion city ranked second in the Smart City Government Rankings, trailing behind London who is the smartest city in the world. Seoul, New York and Helsinki complete the top five.

European cities performed strongly in the index amidst strong citizen involvement in smart city projects through joint consultations and participatory budgeting initiatives. American cities also made headway in the global Smart City rankings due to federal competition prompting government to develop smart city strategies focused on urban mobility.

“Smart Cities are taking centerstage in securing an adaptable, inclusive, productive, sustainable, and resilient future for humanity. Leading the development and reinvigoration of high-performing and loveable cities is one of the grandest challenges of our time,” said Calvin Chu Yee Ming, partner at Eden Strategy Institute.