What is BIG smart cities?
Imagine
a world where we can think of cities as connected smart systems where
quality of life is great for its citizens and visitors. Stop imagining.
We’re starting to live in that perfect city, but we’re going to need
your help to build it: we need your simple ideas and solutions to
improve everyday city’s problems in 4 areas: Mobility, Tourism, Living
and Government. That’s why we’ve created an innovative program to
pre-accelerate and also launch innovative Smart Cities’ technologies
BIG smart cities, by Vodafone and Ericsson.
BIG smart sities is an international competition
where startups get to pitch to investors and earn BIG prizes to launch
and scale their businesses. Since 2013, we bring the innovation and the
future to the cities, as we did it with Vodafone BIG Apps, and now, with
the fourth edition of BIG smart cities.
What are the smart areas?
WHAT'S THE SPECIAL RECIPE?
Sorry... There's not a special recipe for the
winner idea, but we have put together a diverse and experienced
committee, in the belief that the selection process is as impartial and
void of presumptions as possible, that will judge each BIG idea and team
within the following criteria:
- The Team: we will be
searching for specific competencies, experience and diversity, not only
in the BIG idea, but also in the proposed execution. It has to fulfil
the required objective of enriching the lives of Portugal’s inhabitants
whilst also adding value to those who visit the country.
- Quality of the idea: Any and all
recipes are only as good as the ingredients you use. We will be
identifying creative use, originality and innovation in the BIG ideas
submitted. Nowadays, businesses have to be customer centric and your BIG
idea is no different. Design with the user’s experience in mind and
you’ll be fine.
- Value & Use of the BIG idea to the country: If
you understand the users’ needs and desires, you’ll know that relevance
is key and that added value is the solution. Keep your idea simple and
focused. Some of the most successful projects were BIG ideas that
everyone questioned, “why has no one ever thought about that before?”
- Business model: Most startups
are just too optimistic about the ease with which they will acquire new
customers – after all, love is blind. Just remember the golden rule: you
have to be able to acquire your customers for less money than they will
generate in value of the lifetime of your relationship with them. Once
you figure that out, ensure that you find a scalable way of acquiring
them. Make sure you help us find the true commercial viability and
potential of growth in your BIG ideas.
- Feasibility: Contrary to popular
belief, BIG ideas aren’t that difficult to find. The proof is in the
pudding, or in this case, the execution. We’ll be looking for technical,
operational and commercially aware teams. You got to be able to
deliver. We live in a results orientated world in which intent is not
rewarded.
- Vodafone New Generation Network:
We will be looking at how you will use it to improve the lives of those
visiting living and working in the country. Henry Ford once said, “You
can’t build a reputation on what you are going to do”; we say, “you
can’t build success on an technology you are going to eventually
release”.
Source: http://bigsmartcities.com/
