Mayor Sadiq Khan Launches New £1.6m Clean Tech Incubator And Shares His Vision To Make London The World’s Leading ‘Smart City’

#LondonTechWeek: New £1.6M Clean Tech incubator ‘Better Futures’ launched as the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan shares his vision to position London as the ‘world’s leading smart city’.

Speaking at the launch of London Tech Week, yesterday, Sadiq Khan called on the global tech community to help tackle issues such air pollution, housing and the future of transport.   .

As part of his plans to make the capital the ‘world’s leading smart city’,  funding of £1.6m will be provided to 100 London-based clean tech startups to boost the fight in tackling the biggest economic, social and environmental issues.

Better Futures will help kick start the development of clean-tech hubs for the capital’s low-carbon industry.

Khan said: “As Mayor of this great city – the best city in the world – it fills me with pride to see our tech sector thriving. New technologies are having an enormous impact on our way of life – reshaping our societies, our economies and our culture. 

“My ambition now is to harness the new technologies that are being pioneered right here to transform London into the world’s leading smart city.

“The potential for cutting-edge technology to tackle a host of social, economic and environmental challenges is immeasurable.  From air pollution and climate change to housing and transport, new technologies and data science will be at the heart of the long-term solutions to urban challenges.”

The Mayor also reaffirmed his commitment, post-Brexit, to ensure that Britain retains its position as Europe’s leading city for foreign direct investment into the technology sector.

Coinciding with the launch of London Tech Week, the Mayor also officially opened Plexal – a new innovation hub at Here East supporting 800 technology start-ups and global corporations.

Claire Cockerton CEO of Plexal and London Tech Week ambassador comments, “Plexal will become a truly unique innovation destination not only for London but the rest of the World. The success of London’s technology sector has been built on a strong culture of collaboration and entrepreneurial spirit. At Plexal, our mission is to become the beating heart of inventive enterprise; connected, intelligent & dynamic – where people join forces, ideas spark & new business is born.”