For the first major Access Cities challenge, Danish Cleantech Hub teams up with Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Economic Development Corporation and the city’s premier cleantech incubator, Urban Future Lab, to develop an open challenge based on problems prioritized by NYC Agencies, and for which Danish technology providers have a strong value proposition.

New York City offers a high value opportunity as a global megacity market for companies looking to get involved in market challenges coming out of the Access Cities program. Danish Cleantech Hub, a joint initiative by The Confederation of Danish Industry and State of Green, is the New York lead on this 2.5-year multi-city program aimed at testing out emerging, and proven, technology and solutions through a challenge and living lab-based approach in New York, Munich, Singapore, Copenhagen and Aarhus.

“Leveraging our position in the New York City urban tech ecosystem, we are teaming up with Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Economic Development Corporation and “our own” cleantech incubator, Urban Future Lab, to develop this first  open challenge. In this challenge both Danish technology providers and New York counterparts can compete in order to share knowledge across the Atlantic,” says NYC Access Cities Project Manager Klaus Lehn Christensen, Director at Danish Cleantech Hub.

As part of the Access Cities program, Danish Cleantech Hub, offers individual support for companies interested in the New York market by assisting with market entry, partner search and/or visibility.

At the same time, in Denmark, Climate KIC offers market preparation support for companies interested in the challenge, and who are looking to take on the US market. The challenge is expected to launch during the Smart Cities NY expo 13-15 May 2019.

Apart from co-created challenges, the Access Cities program also promotes existing challenges on the target markets. Below an outline of currently open challenges on the New York market.

• NYCx Cybersecurity Moonshot Challenge
• Request for information – Robots and artificial intelligence for the Port Authority of NY & NJ
• Submit an application to the Urban-X Accelerator Program 
• Repurpose New York City’s recyclable trash and locally manufacture a product to sell into the NYC market -$500,000 prize to the individual or team