Smart Centres Index 9: Western European And US Centres Lead The Way In Innovation And Technology

The Smart Centres Index explores the ability of global commercial centres to create, develop, and deploy technology. Leading centres in the SCI are based in places which combine an innovative, cultural centre with a high-performing university sector across STEM subjects, supported by a well-developed regulatory, commercial, and financial services.

• London retained first place in the index, with Zurich rising to second place and New York down one place to third.
• Five Western European centres feature in the top 10, alongside three US centres.
• Singapore and Tel Aviv also feature in the top 10.
• Six centres rose 10 or more places in the ranking in SCI 9, while 11 centres fell 10 or more places.
• Following a rise in the average ratings in the last two editions of the index, the average rating in SCI 9 fell by 1.31%. The smallest reduction in average ratings was in Latin America & The Caribbean, while centres in Eastern Europe & Central Asia fell almost 2%.
• The continued geopolitical threats caused by conflict and economic instability may be driving a lack of confidence in technology centres across the world.

We asked respondents to the SCI survey to identify the areas of technology which are likely to have the most impact on industry over the next five years. A quarter of respondents identified ‘Artificial Intelligence, Digital And Computing’ as likely to have the greatest impact, with ‘Energy And Environmental Technology’, and ‘Electronics, Photonics, And Quantum Technology’ mentioned by 18% and 17% of respondents respectively.

Full details of SCI 9 can be found at www.smartcentresindex.net

Professor Michael Mainelli, Chairman of Z/Yen said:

“Commercial centres across the world continue to promote innovation in technology and science. Our community’s focus on Artificial Intelligence, Electronics, and Energy Technology as the developments likely to have most impact on industry over the next five years show the likely continued direction of travel.”

We invite all those with an interest in the development of innovation and technology centres to take part in SCI 10 by rating the financial and commercial centres you know on our continuously running survey – smartcentresindex.net/survey/.