A few years ago, the term "Smart City" was created in Germany and worldwide for the application of "Industry 4.0" and "Internet of Things" technologies. The Chinese government and the economy have been pushing for the area ever since. The great design power of chin. Government, well-developed technology skills in the field of digitalization and 5G data networks in China are crucial to making "smart city" a reality in China. German SMEs should know this market situation and identify business opportunities for themselves.
In China, different actors from the public and private sectors are working together to actually realise smart transport solutions. For me, this collaboration - especially between local governments and mobility providers - is crucial to accelerate the implementation of smart urban mobility solutions.
I believe that the people should have a say in any changes to their city and that any application of technology should be questioned to find how it will improve people’s lives.
Very often ‘Smart City’ projects are driven by technology firm to show case what’s possible without really addressing any issues at hand. Business models to finance the technology are often not even secondary on the agenda and money is going to prestige project rather than problem solving.
"Smart City" is a strategic focus of China's 13th Five-Year Plan. The relevant technologies are still mentioned several times in the new 14th Five-Year Plan. From my observation, the individual applications for the Chinese market are now much more important than the generic term "smart city". This, in turn, is a good opportunity for the niche leaders from Germany to tap into the market.
Smart city applications in China offer opportunities for German companies. The Chinese focus on the benefits of Digitalization and new technology enables much faster progress. It can be a refreshing change from the habit of many "Bedenkenträger" or worrywarts in Germany. New ideas and concepts are formed in China. So it is essential also for SMEs to have an innovative local presence and not just try to copy and paste strategies from Germany.