Greetings from the world’s new Silicon Valley

Our Industrial PhD Fellow and Head of Mobility, Robert Martin, was recently invited to Shenzhen, China as part of the global innovation lab UNLEASH. Bringing together over 1000 young professionals from around the world, UNLEASH produces solutions towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). This year, 162 countries were represented, and we are so proud to have Robert on-site, bringing our mobility agenda into play.

Robert was specifically selected to work on SDG #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities with “transport” as a sub-theme. For five intense days, he and his group investigated ways of increasing the utilization of public transportation by creating more accessible networks to vulnerable groups such as immigrants, the disabled, and the elderly. At the end of the week, all the talents pitched their idea to mentors, experts, and investors.

UNLEASH is a non-profit started in 2017 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Since 2017, UNLEASH has been held in Denmark, Singapore, and China. Browse all the previous SDG solutions on UNLEASH’s website.

Facts about Shenzhen

Shenzhen is the fastest growing city in the world having gone from a population of 30,000 in 1980 to over 20 million today. It is considered the new Silicon Valley in the world and is a hothouse of innovation. Over 40% of all new technology patents coming from China are from Shenzhen, making the city an obvious choice for host city for UNLEASH 2019.

 

Date: 5 December 2019
Links: UNLEASH Solution Catalogue