Leading Cities, a global non-profit organization focused on promoting resilience and sustainability for cities, and QBE Insurance, have identified 100 of the world’s most powerful solutions for advancing sustainable development goals. These initiatives have been selected through the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, considered one of the top five Govtech accelerators worldwide. This year, the program reached a new record with over 650 applicant companies from 80 countries.
The applicant pool collectively addresses 22 diverse challenges communities face, including clean water, renewable energy, sustainable tourism, transportation, accessibility, agricultural technology, and public health.
“Innovation is the very lifeline our cities need to achieve resiliency. With mounting challenges and increasing urbanization, embracing cutting-edge solutions is not just an option; it’s an urgent necessity,” said Michael Lake, President, and CEO of Leading Cities. “This generation can, and must, build cities that not only withstand and recover from shocks and stresses, but also thrive in uncertainty and change by embracing the power of technology, collaboration, and creative thinking.”
In the wake of devastating forest fires, water contamination, and crumbling infrastructure worldwide, prioritizing and supporting effective solutions has never been more critical. The QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge has brought together a range of up-and-coming solutions that aim to future-proof cities, safeguard residents, and foster equity.
In partnership with QBE AcceliCITY and esteemed industry leaders, the selected innovative companies will receive significant support, including a 3-month curriculum from Leading Cities’ global network of competent city experts and leaders. After a rigorous application process, these companies will undertake a transformative three-month web-based curriculum designed with intelligent city leaders worldwide that will equip them with the knowledge and skills to navigate the complex landscape of smart cities.
The Top 10 Solutions selected this year will participate in the QBE AcceliCITY Boot Camp, competing to win up to $150,000 in prize money to fund a pilot of their solution directly within a community.
Furthermore, this group will join the LaunchPad 11 ecosystem, the world’s first sustainable and resilient city virtual cluster. LaunchPad 11 aims to serve as a springboard for companies, municipalities, entrepreneurs, and investors to advance the realization of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11). Achieving the goal of developing inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities necessitates an ecosystem approach that brings stakeholders together in a shared mission, and LaunchPad 11 aims to be that global ecosystem.
Discover more here.
