SCALE San Diego Partners with US Ignite and City of San Diego, with Support from Cox Communications, to Create IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO, A Smart Gigabit Communities Program

Smart Cities Accelerator, Labs + Environment (SCALE) San Diego is on a mission to bring together local community talent, technology and innovation to solve urban challenges. The organization is partnering with US Ignite and the City of San Diego, with sponsorship from Cox Communications, to develop a Smart Gigabit Communities (SGC) Program entitled IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO. The program’s goal: select and pilot transformative projects that will provide promising, innovative advances to the city, community and beyond.

The IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO program recently kicked off with a period of discovery to determine the most pressing challenges for the community and outline specific program goals, options and timelines.

Through a series of community events and hackathon challenges, IGNITE-SCALE-SAN DIEGO will select and produce two winning projects/solutions each year in 2019 and 2020 that will be piloted by the City of San Diego. Ultimately, the solutions will be implemented operationally by either the City of San Diego or another SGC partner city.

The IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO program provides the framework to identify actionable requirements to key urban problems such as transportation, low-medium income neighborhoods and city planning,” says SCALE San Diego Co-Founder and Managing Partner Daniel Obodovski. “We want these projects to develop into real-world solutions, implemented by the City of San Diego or incubated as new companies.”

Participants in the program – students, technologists, scientists, entrepreneurs and others – receive continued mentorship from SCALE San Diego and its community partners, as well as stakeholder feedback, networking opportunities, and monetary awards.

US Ignite launched the Smart Gigabit Communities movement in 2012 as a collaborative effort with the White House and the National Science Foundation. Since then, the project has grown into a network of dozens of communities – like San Diego – all of which are developing applications and services to address the challenges of an increasingly connected and digital world.

“The IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO team is a welcome addition to our family of SGC partners,” says Glenn Ricart, CTO, US Ignite. “Through SGC and other US Ignite programs, we’re helping communities build the necessary foundation for a smart city future by fostering innovation, supporting scalability, and continuing to build an ecosystem around successful, sustainable community development models. This project is a ready example of that ecosystem building, and we’re eager to see the impact of IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO as its work with the city unfolds.”

Deputy COO for Smart & Sustainable Communities, City of San Diego, Erik Caldwell says, “The City of San Diego is continually looking for pragmatic, scalable and sustainable solutions that will enhance the high quality of life we enjoy here in San Diego, while supporting the local economy. IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO provides an opportunity to challenge local talent to come up with never-before-seen or executed solutions to pressing city challenges.”

Cox Communications’ Senior Vice President and Region Manager Sam Attisha says, “Cox is delivering next-generation gigabit speeds to homes and businesses throughout San Diego, so it’s exciting to be a part of the development of a Smart Gigabit Community in San Diego. The IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO program takes a creative approach to finding truly transformative technologies and solutions.”

For more information on IGNITE | SCALE | SAN DIEGO click here.

About SCALE San Diego

SCALE drives urban innovation in San Diego and beyond. Our mission is to bridge the gap between technology and urban challenges. Through our partnership with the City, universities and corporations we tackle real urban problems with the best local talent and cutting-edge technology tools. We achieve our mission through a blend of community engagement, facilitation, and innovative projects. For more information: http://scalesd.com/. Connect: Twitter and LinkedIn.

About the City of San Diego

From our spectacular coast to scenic communities to scientific innovations, new opportunities start in San Diego every day. The City of San Diego is committed to serving all our neighborhoods, fostering an economically prosperous community and creating a world-class city for all. Together, we're building our better future. www.sandiego.gov/

About Cox Communications

Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and home security and automation services over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable company, Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses. Cox is known for its pioneering efforts in broadband, voice and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

About US Ignite

US Ignite, Inc. is a non‐profit organization accelerating the smart city movement by guiding communities into the connected future, creating a path for private sector growth, and advancing technology research that’s at the heart of smart city development. www.us-ignite.org