Singapore ranked third among 50 'future-ready' cities

SINGAPORE has been ranked third among 50 cities globally for being future-ready, behind San Jose and San Francisco in California.

The ranking by Dell recognises economies that enable people and organisations to access new tools and new ideas which result in better connectivity and economic performance, as well as a greater ability to attract talent.

Three criteria were used in evaluating the cities: having people with the right skills to drive meaningful change; having the necessary infrastructure to support people, businesses and technology; and providing sustained opportunities for businesses to accelerate innovation, growth and profitability.

London and Washington DC were ranked fourth and fifth respectively.

After Singapore, the next top Asian cities were Seoul, which took 12th position, Beijing, which was placed 24th, and Hong Kong, in the 25th position.

"We live in a digital age in which the power of innovation to transform our world is all around us," said president of Dell in Asia Pacific, Amit Midha. "The cities where we live are faced with new challenges every day - from supporting a growing population and building a thriving culture, to fuelling economic opportunity for everyone. By understanding Future-Ready Economies and their attributes, cities, businesses and people can create policies and strategies that will enable them to prosper and achieve strong economic health."

Research for the Dell Future-Ready Economies Model - on which the ranking is based - started at the Strategic Innovation Summit at Harvard University in September last year. It is based on analysis conducted by consultancy firm IHS.