Page 74 - The Fourth Industrial Revolution

The speed and breadth by which cities absorb and deploy technology,

supported by agile policy frameworks, will determine their ability to
compete in attracting talent. Possessing a superfast broadband, putting into
place digital technologies in transportation, energy consumption, waste
recycling and so on help make a city more efficient and liveable, and

therefore more attractive than others.

It is therefore critical that cities and countries around the world focus on

ensuring access to and use of the information and communication
technologies on which much of the fourth industrial revolution depends.
Unfortunately, as the World Economic Forum’s Global Information

Technology Report 2015 points out, ICT infrastructures are neither as
prevalent nor diffusing as fast as many people believe. “Half of the world’s
population does not have mobile phones and 450 million people still live
out of reach of a mobile signal. Some 90% of the population of low-income
countries and over 60% globally are not online yet. Finally, most mobile

phones are of an older generation.” 45

Governments must therefore focus on bridging the digital divide in countries

at all stages of development to ensure that cities and countries have the
basic infrastructure required to create the economic opportunities and
shared prosperity that is possible through new models of collaboration,

efficiency and entrepreneurship.

The Forum’s work on Data-Driven Development highlights that it is not just

access to digital infrastructure that matters for grasping these opportunities.
Also critical is addressing the “data deficit” in many countries, particularly
in the global South, thanks to constraints on how data can be created,
collected, transmitted and used. Closing the four “gaps” which contribute to

this deficit – its existence, access, governance and usability – gives
countries, regions and cities many additional abilities that can enhance their
development, such as tracking the outbreak of infectious diseases,
responding better to natural disasters, enhancing access to public and

financial services for the poor, and understanding migration patterns of
vulnerable populations. 46

Countries, regions and cities can do more than simply change the regulatory
environment. They can actively invest in becoming launch pads for digital
transformation, so as to attract and encourage entrepreneurs and investors in

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