Looks like it’s going to be a great event, with a top line-up of speakers and discussion panels, including; Hamilton Mayor – Julie Hardaker, Tauranga Mayor – Stuart Crosby, Auckland Deputy Mayor – Penny Hulse, Ludo Campbell-Reid – Auckland Council, Rohan MacMahon – Crown Fibre Holdings, Louise Marra – Ministry of Economic Development and Brett O’Riley – ATEED…to name just a few. Programme…here.

I’ll be presenting on “Cities – Hubs of Local innovation within National Economies” which looks at how cities support the complex interactions of people, ideas, innovation and knowledge creation throughout an economy and the role of entrepreneurs and urban based innovation ecosystems in supporting national competitiveness.

See you there…

1.    China

2.    India

3.    The United States

4.    Germany

5.    South Korea

6.    Indonesia

7.    Hong Kong

8.    Japan

9.    Singapore

10.    The United Kingdom

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/countries-leading-world-trade-2050-2011-12?utm_source=alerts&nr_email_referer=1#10-uk-1#ixzz1icPhf3ww

In this presentation, I provided the outputs of my recent research into the relationships between hardware, software and services, and economic productivity.

The research helps economic development agencies advisors balance hi-tech industry investment, top drive economic growth. Here’s the hardware sector maturity across 50 countries as an example from the presentation.

If you would like a full copy of the presentation, you can download it from the TCI2011 website…here.

In working with these groups we are sometimes asked about the relationships between these hi-tech sectors, and other ‘social indicators’ so I thought I would share some preliminary results using two recently released social indexes; the UNDP Human Development Report for 2011 which is an alternative way of measuring countries’ prosperity and well-being, and the 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International, which measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 183 countries and territories around the world.

When comparing the maturity of local software economies with both these indexes, we found that Local Software Economy Maturity was more strongly correlated with the Corruption Perceptions Index (.715) than the Human Development Index (.640).

Remember this does not suggest cause and effect, just a signicant relationship. However, it may support the hypothesis that the use of software to provide better access to government processes by citizens (eGovernment) may have an impact on perceived corruption deduction. Here’s the plot of this relationship across 52 countries:

©Copyright Malcolm J Fraser 2011, The Future Cities Institute Inc.

Should be a great conference with a strong focus on sustainable growth through technology enabled innovation, and the role of NGOs in empowering city communities

This workshop, hosted by the World Bank’s Urbanization Knowledge Platform and infoDev (FPD Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Global Practice), has been held to discuss the role of global cities in promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and job growth.

Specifically, the session is examining the role of business incubators in cities such as Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, and Barcelona as stimulators for business innovation and entrepreneurship to create opportunities for inclusive growth, job creation and poverty reduction.

To show my commitment, I’m donating my face to the cause by growing a moustache for the entire month of November, and need your support.

My Mo will spark conversations, and no doubt generate some laughs; all in the name of raising vital awareness and funds for prostate cancer and male depression. Why am I so passionate about men’s health?

• 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime
• This year 240,890 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed
• 1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime
• 24% of men are less likely to go the doctor compared to women

I’m asking you to support my Movember campaign by making a donation online at: http://mobro.co/malcolmfraser

Thank you in advance for supporting my efforts to change the face of men’s health.

Malcolm