The world is facing unprecedented challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic, further complicating complex global innovation trends and demanding unparalleled response from governments and organizations alike. As China and other affected Asian nations have been fighting the pandemic, forward-looking collaborations in technology development and innovation are more important than ever. This key element of collaboration in addressing global innovation is a hallmark of MIT’s problem-solving approach, especially amidst our current global challenges.
In the coming months, the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) is pleased to present a special webinar series featuring leading researchers and field experts to share insights in energy, nanomaterials, novel photonics, robotics, city planning, healthcare, and more.
We invite you to join the 2020 MIT ILP Regional Webinar Series to engage and explore topics with our experts, including opportunities to interact with academics and global ILP member executives, to drive national and international economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship in each covered field.
2020 MIT ILP Regional Webinar Series, Part 7
Zhengzhen Tan is research scientist and lecturer at MIT Department of Urban Studies and Planning, MIT Center for Real Estate, she is also the executive director of Sustainable Urbanization Lab. Zhengzhen taught 3 graduate courses at both MIT’s school of architecture & planning, and Sloan school: China’s Growth, Urban Tech Venture and Digital Cities. She directs the China Future City Program, which initiated Future City Innovation Connector. Zhengzhen’s expertise is focused on the transitioning urbanization, digital innovation and transformation in urban development industry. She is the co-editor of “Towards Urban Vibrancy: Patterns and Practices of Asia’s New Cities” (MIT SA+P Press, 2020, here for the amazon link). She is the author of the “Digital Technology in Urban Systems: New Opportunities in New Cities” chapter in this book. Zhengzhen Tan and teaching team won MIT J-WEL Grants in Higher Education Innovation on a new MIT graduate course “Healthy Building Practicum”. Before joining MIT, Zhengzhen was an urban planner with extensive practice in both public and private sectors in Shanghai, Singapore, London and Vancouver.
Asia has experienced a dramatic urbanization process over the past few decades. The rapid urbanization trend has reshaped Asian economies as cities generate agglomeration economies; enabling workers and firms to interact in close physical proximity; allowing specialization and nurturing entrepreneurship. Urbanized Asia has become a global powerhouse, generating more than one third of the world’s total GDP. One significant urbanization trend across Asia is the widespread prevalence of “new planned cities, where public and private sector collaborate to generate growth engine for the economy. What’ s the success factors driving new cities economic vibrancy? What’s the role of digital urban system in enhancing urban vibrancy? What’s the mechanism of public and private partnership in new city making? What’s the important yet understudied relationship between market mechanism and non-market forces such as public policy and regulations?