Cisco announced on March 9 that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Metropolis, an association comprised of 106 of the world's largest cities, to develop its "Vision 2030" for sustainable cities around the world.


As part of this MoU, Cisco will advise Metropolis on how to build a collaborative operating model between Metropolis member cities and establish an Urban Leadership Academy to demonstrate how future cities can effectively use technology to advance clean public transportation, decrease pollution through intelligent urban development, offer pervasive access to citizen-centric services and support sustainable economic growth.

The announcement was made at a ceremony attended by Wim Elfrink, chief globalization officer and EVP, Cisco Services, and Jean-Paul Huchon, president of Metropolis.
 As part of the strategic collaboration, Cisco will collaborate with Metropolis over an initial two year period to develop new practices and enhance existing models in urban development and sustainability.

Metropolis is the world association of major metropolises and operates as an international forum for exploring issues and concerns common to all big cities.


The collaboration with Metropolis is a significant milestone for Cisco, as part of its recently launched global "Intelligent Urbanisation" initiative, as it works to help cities around the world take advantage of the network as the next utility for integrated city management, better quality of life for citizens, and sustained economic development.



Jean Paul Huchon, president of Metropolis, says: 

"The 21st century will be the century of metropolises. Today, more than half the world's population lives in urban areas, and this phenomenon is set to rapidly increase. The main priority of Metropolis today is to offer the best to these metropolises and their populations. Signing with Cisco is very important for our network to develop the best way to build sustainable cities and to strengthen our goal, which is the exchange of information and experience."

"As the leading network of cities worldwide, Metropolis has long been a pioneer in helping cities understand how to build for long-term competitiveness," says Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer and EVP, Cisco Services. "They are again leaders today in understanding how technology can serve as the 21st century's most powerful tool for building more intelligently and sustainably."



Under the terms of the MOU signed today, Cisco and Metropolis agreed to collaborate on the following main areas:



Develop the 'Vision 2030' for Sustainable Cities: Cisco and Metropolis will develop a long term vision for sustainable cities enabled by networked technologies.


Collaboration for Urban Innovation: Metropolis and Cisco will explore the possibility of establishing regional Innovation Centres. The regional innovation centers will anchor implementation actions on different policy areas, associating the selected cities and Cisco to develop new platforms and tools to manage urban services.

Cisco will also provide strategic advice on the program and support the development of a partnership approach in urban innovation for Metropolis and its business associates, with a specific focus on technology and business partnerships.


Create a digital collaboration platform for Metropolis members: Cisco will use its collaborative solutions, such as Cisco WebEx and Cisco TelePresence, to facilitate the creation of a collaborative operating model between Metropolis and its member cities. Using a Web 2.0 approach, Cisco will help facilitate the exchange of innovation between cities across the world.


Establish an Urban Leadership "Academy": Cisco and Metropolis aim to jointly develop a framework, with training and skills programs, that demonstrates how cities can use technology more effectively to drive sustainability. Training modules will also help city leaders, urban planners and practitioners better understand the potential role and impact of networked technologies on the performance of their cities.

This announcement builds on Cisco's thought leadership and technology expertise with Connected Urban Development (CUD), a public-private partnership that includes cities such as San Francisco, Amsterdam, and Seoul, which develops replicable ICT solutions to help promote sustainable, intelligent urban development practices.

For more information visit www.cisco.com/go/globalisation

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