Obstacles encountered by local communities in innovation

The need for innovation in transport and mobility technology is clear enough – the climate crisis and the major changes to work and life caused by the pandemic mean that local governments making smart forward-looking investments now will create a resilient, adaptable and green solution, including networks of transportation that residents and their communities will rely on every day.

In addition, autonomous vehicles, smart city sensor systems, on-demand electric scooters, mopeds and bicycles and other new technologies mean unprecedented opportunities to revitalize downtown businesses, disadvantaged neighborhoods, adapt spending and revenue streams to a changing world that generally improves the quality of life of citizens.

Not everything can be solved by a startup or a pilot program. There are challenges that are best addressed by comprehensive reviews by established large contractors. Established companies have supported CivStart’s network of local governments and startups since its inception. There are challenges best addressed internally by local government staff. However, in almost all cases, there are smart, civic-minded founders, often former civil servants themselves, thinking of ways in which cutting-edge innovations can make processes and outcomes better and cheaper for local governments.

It is clear that the environment surrounding our society is changing rapidly, the population is aging, there are energy problems and food crises due to the chaotic lifestyle, so the questions are imposed: Are we heading in the right direction? What social value are we looking for today? How to balance these different pressures and constraints? Should our society seek a new sustainability for its development?

Thus, we face increasingly urgent and complex social challenges.

Given limited resources and increasing pressure on cost control, it is essential that new knowledge and resources are implemented and developed as efficiently as possible.

We need to find solutions on how to overcome social challenges by using knowledge and skills wisely.

We should also invest in research and development in a wide range of zonal objectives, exploit and promote innovative social entrepreneurship, keep the quality of public services for citizens and entrepreneurs at a high level in light of the new environment, such as aging the population. The government must put the needs of citizens and entrepreneurs first, by seeking effective collaboration with the public, providing support for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Our most important social challenges are resisting conventional approaches, and we owe it to ourselves to take innovative steps to address these challenges.