Description of Challenge:

Most of the world population already lives in urban areas and this number will be increasingly so in the next decades; cities have faced great challenges related to the growing urbanization impacts such as increased consumption level, mobility and safety to name a few. On the other hand cities are a huge source of human development and innovation opportunities are endless; certain concepts such as intelligent and connected, creative, attractive and sustainable cities work as reference of innovation leading entrepreneurs and companies to propose solutions to this challenge.

Opportunities for Startups:

• » Urban Mobility of Persons and Goods: Solutions for traffic optimization, parking spaces, safety /security related aspects, decrease of accidents, energy consumption, emission of pollutants, noise as well as connectivity, entertainment, tourism and alternatives to reduce the need of mobility.
• » City Planning and Infrastructure: Solutions assisting urban planning, infrastructure, study of the city and its vocation, technologies to enable monitoring and transmission of infrastructure data (identification of street potholes, water/sewage leaks, stress levels in traffic on streets and roads), aspects increasing the city quality of life and attractiveness (tourism, culture and events).
• » Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Efficiency: Solutions of sanitation, water reuse and quality, pollution, industry and household waste management and energy consumption, supply and lighting solutions and smart grids.
• » Internet and Information Technology: Applications of social media and artificial intelligence to boost tourism, trade, security among others; Internet infrastructure (inclusion, accessibility and low-cost, high-speed Wi-Fi networks connectivity), voice, face recognition technologies, city geo-referencing and monitoring.
• » Health: Solutions for improvement to health access; solutions for network connection between different city players (business, hospitals, homes, etc.) focusing on production (as against prevention) of health; access to information for health services.
• » Security: Solutions for security against criminality, digital security, biometric identification, cryptography, prevention and solution of crimes, traffic safety and security and natural disasters (monitoring / sensing of floods, landslides, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.).
• » Education: Improvement in access to schools and universities, access to information for educational services and libraries, access to employment in the city, new ways to educate for urban living.
• » Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Incentives to eco-system of startups, creative industry, networking innovation, co-working spaces, interaction between citizens and City Hall.
• » Construction: Intelligent constructions, new materials, construction Technologies including new materials and construction systems besides the use of 3D printing, robotics, modular construction helping the increase of productivity, cost reduction and acceleration of works.
• » Real Estate and Hotel Infrastructure: Solutions for valuation, efficient commercialization and use of properties and public and private lands as well as connectivity of hotel industry and urban infrastructure; new real estate acquisition/ occupation models, that is, developments with shared use (residences – fixed and commercial – lease)
• » Publicity and Marketing: Advertisements and billboards directed to different areas and publics according to geo-referenced positioning.