Smart cities — connected spaces where technology is integrated into business and social life — are growing. ABI’s Smart Cities Competitive Assessment report names Singapore as the world’s leading smart city, primarily due to innovations with driverless taxis and shuttles. Most other major capitals are following suit, developing automated and connected technologies. This leads to questions as to how the smart city is altering the way we work.
Future of work
Backed by global studies, the National League of Cities has produced a report titled “Assessing the Future of Our Work: Automation and the Role of Cities.” The report examines the challenges for cities in matching the demands of key local industries with the population’s skillsets.
Reviewing the report, John Williams, Head of Marketing at Instant Offices has extracted and assessed data that looks into how smart cities around the world are impacting workplace trends. The report finds that an estimated two-thirds of cities globally will be investing in smart city technology by up to $135 billion by 2021.
Rise in automation
The research finds that the types of jobs that are set to grow between now and 2026, in the smart city, are most likely to be automated. There are also a number of changes to how work will be conducted, with 87 percent of businesses relying on their workers being able to access mobile business apps.
Given the rise in mobile business technology, a separate study also finds that 46 percent of organisations are now using biometric authentication tech to protect data on smartphones, and this is set to grow.
Maintaining security is a key consideration for the growth of the program Bring Your Own Device, where employees are using their own personal tablets, smartphones, laptops and wearable tech to complete tasks. Many employees are keen to do this because they are familiar with their device, which means they do not need to adjust to using another technology, perhaps with a different operating system.
Focus on employee wellbeing
Other changes that workplaces are making as they become increasingly automated include a focus on the employee expreience. As an example, the data suggests that between 70 and 80 percent of companies believe that wellness programs reduce absenteeism and boost productivity. Such measures are in recognition of the risks associated with overworking, presenteeism, work addiction and burnout. In the U.S., for example, 56 percent of employers say presenteeism is a problem in their organisation.
