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.

SCI 13 Results

• Singapore and New York rose in the rankings to take first and second place in the index, with London down from second to third position.
• Four Western European centres feature in the top 10, alongside three Asia/Pacific and two US and centres. Abu Dhabi in ninth place also features in the top 10.
• If respondents did not distinguish London from Cambridge and Oxford, we might consider Southeast England to be the dominant smart centre.
• Twelve centres rose 10 or more places in the ranking in SCI 13, while fourteen centres fell 10 or more places.
• The average rating in SCI 13 rose by 1.07%, building on a rise of 3.33% in SCI 12.
• The biggest increase in average ratings of 1.83% was in Latin America & The Caribbean, while the lowest increase in the average rating was for Eastern Europe & Central Asia, where ratings rose 0.49%.

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 having most impact, with Energy and Environmental Technology mentioned by 16% of respondents, with Robotics and Electronics, Phonics, and Quantum mentioned by 13% of respondents.

The top 20 centres in SCI 13 are shown in the table below:

Full details of SCI 13 can be found at www.smartcentresindex.net.

Professor Michael Mainelli, Chairman of Z/Yen, said:

“The latest edition of the Smart Centres Index shows the rise of Asia Pacific, with Singapore leading the index, and Busan and Shenzhen joining Singapore in the top 10. Centres with a deep commitment to skills development continue to perform well. The competition to lead the way in the application of science and technology continues to drive development in the world’s commercial centres.”

We invite all those with an interest in the development of innovation and technology centres to take part in SCI 14 by rating the financial and commercial centres you know on our continuously running survey – www.smartcentresindex.net/survey/.

ENDS

Notes For Editors

About SCI 13

The SCI is a factor assessment index, combining a number of instrumental factors - data measures drawn from a range of data providers across the world - and assessments given by business and finance professionals of three dimensions related to innovation and technology in major commercial and financial centres:

· Innovation Support - the approach taken to regulation and support for the innovation and technology industry provided by the commercial ecosystem.

· Creative Intensity - the extent to which technology and innovative industries are embedded in the economy of the centre.

· Delivery Capability - the quality of the work being undertaken in the field in the centre.

These dimensions are brought together in the overall SCI ratings to produce the index, which is updated every six months. SCI 13 was compiled using 141 instrumental factors. These quantitative measures are provided by third parties including the World Bank, the OECD, and the United Nations. The instrumental factors were combined with 2,030 assessments provided by 364 respondents to the SCI online questionnaire.

To find out more about sponsorship opportunities, joining the Vantage Financial Centres network, further research, and bespoke reports on individual financial centres, please contact us.

Previous Editions

Previous editions of the SCI can be accessed at https://www.longfinance.net/programmes/financial-centre-futures/smart-centres-index/publications/

Z/Yen & Long Finance

Z/Yen is the City of London's leading commercial think-tank. It was founded in 1994 to promote societal advance through better finance and technology (www.zyen.com). The SCI is part of Z/Yen’s research into economic centres alongside the Global Financial Centres Index and the China Construction Bank Global Green Finance Index.

For more information please email Mike Wardle at mike_wardle@zyen.com or phone on +44 (0) 7880 737319.