By Don Southerton, Songdo IBD CityTalk Editor and Chief Blogger
I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the Cisco team at the Songdo IBD Grand Opening last week. I also was given a VIP tour of their pavilion at the Incheon Fair. Songdo IBD fits well with Cisco plans as noted in this PR. I’ll share more as it unfolds.
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA — 08/11/09 — Cisco today announced its intention to expand its relationship with Gale International by bringing together complementary skills, capabilities and solutions to create smart, sustainable cities of the future. The collaboration combines the Cisco®Smart+Connected Communitiesvision with Gale International’s experience as a smart-city builder to provide a connected and sustainable living and working experience to communities worldwide. Cisco shares a common vision with Gale International that in cities of the future urban services will be delivered more innovatively, and cities will be managed more efficiently using technology that enables newer models of managed and hosted services within public-private partnerships.
Highlights / Key Facts:
- Cisco is building on its collaboration with Gale International in Sondgo International Business District (IBD) and intends to jointly develop and deliver a robust, repeatable platform and transformational solution set that will help customers deploy Smart+Connected Communities solutions globally, including near-term opportunities in China.
- In April 2009, Cisco signed a framework agreement with Gale International to establish the ‘Cisco Global Center for Smart+Connected Communities’ in Songdo IBD, a 1,500-acre new city being developed off the coast of Incheon by Gale International and POSCO E&C under the auspices of the Incheon Free Economic Authority. The same month, Cisco also announced it would work closely with Incheon Metropolitan City to develop network-enabled innovation and to support sustainable economic development in the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ).
- The two companies intend to partner to help accelerate the development of such smart and connected cities, which will be designed to improve economic development, environmental sustainability, and the quality of life for citizens. They will also assemble a broad ecosystem of strategic design, development and technology partners to enable and drive network-enabled city-scale innovation.
- Cisco and Gale International also today announced that they intend to collaborate on the Meixi Lake District project in Changsha, Hunan Province, China. The Meixi Lake District project will be the first city-scale development in China for Cisco and Gale International.
- Focused on eight “tracks” within a city, Cisco’s Smart+Connected Communities initiative is designed to provide smart and connected solutions for real estate, safety and security, transportation, utilities, government, education, health care and sports.
Executive Quotes:
- Wim Elfrink, chief globalisation officer and executive vice president, Cisco Services
“The vision for this new city is truly transformational, giving residents, businesses and government leaders within Songdo the opportunity to experience the city of the future — today. Our collaboration on Songdo IBD with Gale International is a living example of the globally replicable model we are building for Smart+Connected Communities. We are thrilled to be part of such a groundbreaking initiative, working closely with Gale International to develop new business models for managing and delivering urban services using the network as the platform for transforming cities and countries. We look forward to future visionary projects like this one, such as the efforts currently underway in Meixi Lake District in China.”
- Stan Gale, chairman of Gale International
“We are globalizing the real estate industry by identifying and deploying integrated solutions in a unique replicable model. City-scale development must fit the needs of the visionary communities daring to undertake them. The city of Incheon is to be commended for their vision. More than a decade ago, they believed that Songdo IBD could deliver a better quality of life and deliver economic benefit to the people of Korea. We are excited about this vision and look forward to working closely with IFEZ, Cisco, and other partners to make Songdo IBD and IFEZ the successful model for sustainable cities of the future. Similarly, our next project, China’s Meixi Lake development, seeks to provide an unparalleled quality of life for its inhabitants. Gale International and Cisco, working with other global partners, such as UTC and 3M, intend to deliver sustainable, smart cities of the future that will allow those who live and work there to thrive for generations to come.”
- The prospect of the partnership was lauded by Mayor Xie Jianhui, vice mayor of Changsha, Hunan Province
“The Meixi Lake project is central to the success of the West Changsha Pioneer Zone. Our vision for the Meixi Lake District is to create a harmonious society that integrates innovative technology with environmental and sustainable design. The involvement of Gale International, a world-class city-scale developer, and Cisco, a leader in intelligent systems, will ensure that the Meixi Lake District will become a world-class city right here in Changsha, the heart of Hunan Province.”