Sixteen Shades of Smart
Smart cities are a fast-growing species, and a fascinating field for new experiments in a number of critical areas, ranging from urban planning, sustainable energy, and transport strategies to social integration and talent attraction, to name a few.
As leaders and citizens around the world continue to assess, design, implement and improve on ways to create better cities, they often find themselves confronted with a multitude of decisions and a wide range of partial solutions to specific problems such as traffic congestion, waste management and crime.
Unfortunately, they have precious few tools to enable them to define the strategies required and take advantage of the experience of other smart cities around the world. In such a context, metrics can play a significant and constructive role: by quantifying efforts and results, they increase the ability of decision-makers to identify where their priorities should lie as well as the relative merits of various approaches.
IMD business school is an independent academic institute with close ties to business and a strong focus on impact. Through our world-leading Executive Education, Master of Business Administration (MBA), Executive MBA, and Solutions for Organizations we help leaders and policy-makers navigate complexity and change. Here at IMD, you can develop your strategic thinking skills by learning alongside senior leaders from around the world – set against the inspiring backdrop of the Swiss Alps.
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications

You can also buy the book on Barnes & Nobles, Book Depository, Orell Füssli and Routledge.
Moving the cogs in a country’s productivity system requires the right kind of talent. Let’s consider them the oil. The usefulness of this oil depends on all manner of inputs, such as the quality of the education system and the attractiveness of th...

This book is a vindication of Europe. It challenges the view of Europe as a tired, overregulated continent, arguing instead that Europe has emerged from decades of crisis—financial turmoil, Brexit, COVID-19, war in Ukraine—as a resilient, reformed...
When policymakers start using internet slang to describe the economy, it is a sign something is not right. The word neijuan was once used by Chinese students to depict burnout from seemingly pointless competition. Now it is showing up in policy la...

At the Salzburg Summit, leaders called for a more competitive, confident Europe, backed by strategic autonomy, defense readiness, and regulatory reform.
South Korea has long been recognized for its advanced manufacturing industry and high research and development (R&D) investment, but it now faces complex issues that threaten its competitiveness. This is evident in the 2025 IMD World Competitivene...

Corporate leaders must stop being passive spectators and actively shape geopolitical outcomes to drive global competitiveness and collaboration.

The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking (WCR) is a renowned tool for assessing the competitiveness of economies worldwide. This year, IMD’s World Competitiveness Center (WCC) has expanded its scope to include Kenya, Namibia, and Oman. This year's ra...

L’Oréal Sustainability lead Kiri Trier shares how she’s shifting customer behavior to make recycling, refilling, and waste reduction a bathroom habit.

Have you ever wondered why AI and sustainability seem so promising, yet so often fail to take off inside traditional companies? Or why, despite their potential synergy, AI and sustainability are so rarely pursued together? Too often, companies tre...
IMD produces a yearly Smart City Index offering a balanced focus on economic and technological aspects of smart cities on the one hand, and “humane dimensions” of smart cities (quality of life, environment, and inclusiveness) on the other. In this...
IMD World Competitiveness Center Report, September 2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in Maeil Business Newspaper 16 July 2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Published by International Institute for Management Development ©2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
in I by IMD
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications
IMD World Competitiveness Center Report, 8 April 2025
Research Information & Knowledge Hub for additional information on IMD publications