With 'environmental capitalist' Jason Drew we explored his journey on how he as an investor and entrepreneur is seeking out business opportunities that do good for the (eco)logy and business. For Jason it is just the smart thing to do as it turns out nature is so smart. From a business perspective if you operate a natural organic business that is i…

With entrepreneur and keynote speaker Ramon Vullings we explore his insights on cross innovation and the importance of an open mindset. Ramon promotes the concept of “Operational Elegance” as opposed to “Operational Excellence”. Operational Elegance is about caring about the client/user and provide a smooth experience. Just like a waiter in a resta…

With Adriaan Korthuis from Climate Focus we explored the space of financing emission reduction programs in particularly developing countries' and how to make sure companies exercising good climate practices. There is an urgent need for reforestation and forest protection as each year the annual Forest Declaration assessment (which Climate Focus is …

With Brad Vanstone we dive into the alternative dairy solutions he is creating with Willicroft. His cheese and butter alternatives are very tasty. The butter is made from fermented soya beans and has the look and feel of real butter. He realised during his marketing career that something needs to change if his family farm (Willicroft) back in the U…

Ivanka Milenkovic (Ekofungi) is a organic mushroom farmer in Belgrade Serbia teaching a whole new generation of mushroom farmers from all over the world. She trains mushroom farmers globally and many are also joining her academy in Belgrade. Ivanka was trained as a microbiologist and moved into growing mushrooms by accident. As a PhD student she wa…

In this episode of the Smarter Cities Podcast, Dr. Helena Pacitti, an Associate Lecturer at UNSW with a PhD in behavioural neuroscience, discusses the impact of AI on education. As concerns about the effects of social media on mental health and cognitive development continue to grow, Jason de Sousa and Dr. Pacitti raises important questions about t…

Tim de Sousa, Senior Director Technology (Privacy | Information Governance | Emerging Tech). Tim joined Smarter Cities to delve into data, privacy, and misinformation. He discusses the potential consequences of the importance of data, data for the sake of data, and the consequences of it falling into the wrong hands. Listen and subscribe at Spotify…

Can artificial intelligence represent the solution for fostering more robust, efficient, and just economies and societies? Kelly Brough, Head of Applied Intelligence Australia New Zealand at Accenture, contends that beneath the surface lies a multifaceted landscape. Kelly delves into diverse AI applications, its potential as a remedy, and the pragm…

Maddy Proud is Co-Captain of the NSW Swifts netball team, represents Australia in national netball and is the author of the children's story series "Grace on the Court". Maddy joined Smarter Cities to discuss why sport is so important to the development of children and communities and what it is like to play sport at the highest levels. Listen and …

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation - known as The ABC - is Australia's national public broadcaster. It holds a consistent place in recording the evolution of Australia as a nation. At its heart is its focus on high quality children's programming, which consistently displays excellence in Australian creative talents and projects the best of Aus…

Tim Williams is a passionate advocate and expert in designing, procuring and delivering better cities. Originally from the UK, Tim was a founding member of the Blair Government’s Prime Minister’s delivery unit, which drove significant policy reforms to British Government services, and served as special adviser on urban development, city strategy an…

As the world faces rising energy costs and global inflationary pressures, the case for Net Zero by 2050 might be under question. However, Russell Fortmeyer, Woods Baggot’s Global Head of Sustainability, argues the business case has never been stronger. Visiting Australia from California, Russell joined Smarter Cities to argue the case. Smarter Citi…

How do business improvement districts (BIDs) create better cities? Jace Tyrrell is an expert on building them and is also the inaugural CEO of Australia’s very first Business Improvement District – the New Sydney Waterfront Company. He joined Smarter Cities to explain why a BID is right for Sydney. Catch the Smarter Cities Podcast at: Listen and su…

Sarah Kay, Global Client lead at architecture firm Woods Bagot, joins Smarter Cities to talk about the business of architecture in changing cities and what is like to run an architecture practice with a global reach. Catch the Smarter Cities Podcast at: Listen and subscribe at Spotify here: https://lnkd.in/fJq96sk Listen and subscribe at Apple Podc…

How do you transform a company into a digital leader? This is something Lendlease’s Chief Digital Officer, William Ruh, has done multiple times. Bill joined the Podcast to discuss the opportunities and challenges of creating new things in a corporate environment and why the future will be captured by firms that innovate and change.…

Can we do cities better? Researcher Heba Elhanafy, and the American headquartered think tank the Charter Cities Institute, think so. Heba joined Jason and the Smarter Cities Podcast from her office in Zambia, where she is working with African governments on creating new and better cities that work for people as well as deliver economic development.…

Environmental Social Governance (ESG) has become paramount in corporate and investment decision making and in the national discourse. The hope is that intense ESG focus across the global economy will lead to solutions for entrenched environmental, economic and social problems. But is this really happening? Impact investment firm CEO, Anne-Marie Eli…

Multi-culture fermentation is the next frontier for biotech. Can we create a community of microbes who can do the job? We explore various metabolic pathways to learn more about how syntrophic metabolism works. Can we develop natural catalysts by creating robust systems? And what is the effect of Bacteriophage to these cultures? Special Guest: Diana…

How do you brand a country? Why does a country need a brand? Fiona de Jong - Austrade's Acting Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Australia's Nation Brand - explains why in this episode of Smarter Cities. This episode of Smarter Cities is presented with thanks to Podium - the end to end digital platform for the property and construction industry. …

In this episode we will investigate how the unusual characteristics of water like the Exclusion Zone is impacting how microbes are living with water. Water is more than H20 as we will learn today, and as such how will it impact how we look at fermentation, bio-remediation and more. Special Guest: Gerald Pollack ---- Join our Patreon community to he…

Can the recent focus on private space travel lead to better outcomes on Earth? Recorded as part of the Autonomous21 Conference.By Jason de Sousa

Cop-26 illuminated the focus of governments, institutions and investors in transitioning to a zero carbon world. At the heart of the world’s plan is a belief that green hydrogen production and fuel can displace a global reliance on emissions intensive fossil fuels. Australia, with its gift of plentiful sun, land and sea—combined with its economic c…

As Australia moves towards the opening of international borders, our thoughts are turning to what international travel will look like and how it will take place. Facing a world at different vaccination levels, differences in vaccine recognition, a myriad of rules on quarantine and the ever-present question of travel security, what does the future o…

Live entertainment and the arts; things the pandemic took away from us that are now coming back in force. Michael Cassel is a leading international producer, bringing to our stages some of the world’s greatest theatrical productions and live entertainment. Along the way he has grown some of Australia’s best talent. I asked Michael how living withou…

Smart Cities. Everyone is obsessed with them - from visions of autonomous cars and flying service drones to everything being connected through billions of IOT devices constantly reporting activity. This has long being the mantra of what smart cities are supposed to be. But being honest this concept is something I have somewhat struggled with. The b…

The first 'fan free' Olympic and Paralympic Games - Tokyo2020 - was a success under challenging pandemic circumstances. The fan experience was driven by digital TV connectivity, on-demand viewing and IOT capability more than at any time in the Games' history. Tokyo2020 has changed our future expectations of how the Olympic Games are to be delivered…

Wellness. What is it and why should it matter to corporates? These are rather pertinent questions. As the world continues to battle Covid-19, the lines between work and home have blurred, perhaps permanently, and 'zoom calls' have become the norm. According to a recent study in the Harvard Business Review*, 85 per cent of workers surveyed said they…

Sometimes you meet truly remarkable people who are making a tremendous difference in their communities and countries. This is the case with Jean Nepo Sibomana and his Australian born wife Sabrina, who founded the Mustard Seed Institute – an organisation driving employment, training and human development in rural Rwanda. Nepo is a survivor of the 19…

Selina Short is Managing Partner for Oceania at EY, specialising in the real estate, construction and hospitality sectors. She is a leading voice on cities and urbanisation. Selina argues that a city's future success will be driven by experience and human interaction and that Australian cities have the chance to set the mark for a new way of workin…

Richard Kuppusamy has spent a lifetime thinking about what makes a city accessible. He is an architect and disability rights campaigner. In his job, as Head of Digital Engineering - Asia at Lendlease Group, he is pushing boundaries by driving the development and adoption of digital engineering in the development and construction industry. He also h…

In this episode we will investigate our #gut #microbial #system about how and why it is effecting they #health system. We are curious to learn what kind of insights will this provide for our understanding of microbial systems? How do these microbial #metabolic pathways in the oxygen free environments work? And what interesting applications can we e…

Rishi Suri, editor of India's largest Urdu newspaper, the Daily Milap, joins Smarter Cities in a fascinating discussion on India and its place in the world. India is a rising power. A country of deep history, beloved in Australia for its culture, cuisine and cricket obsession. It is also the country of my parent’s birth, one I have visited since ch…

In this episode we will investigate the role of anammox bacteria and their role in the nitrogen cycle and methane cycle. Are they key to solve the nitrogen issues? En in addition what can we learn how #anaerobe bacteria could be applied for health and our environmental challenges. Special Guest: Mike Jetten Part of the special Microbes Series. What…

Rob Stokes is one of Australia’s most thoughtful and prescient politicians - with a passion for public policy and public service that has led him to one of the toughest portfolios around - as Minister for Planning and Public Spaces in Australia’s largest state, NSW. Rob argues that Covid 19 is the greatest disruption to how cities and countries wil…

Futurist and thought leader on the real estate sector, Nikki Greenberg, joins Smarter Cities in this first episode for 2021. The world is emerging from Covid-19 with the release of new vaccines and a global roll out gathering apace. As we take stock of 2020, and the impact of the virus on our lives, what does the future look like for real estate an…

As Australia's second largest state, Victoria, emerges from a five day lock down, following lock downs in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney's northern beaches, it seems apparent that snap lock downs have become part and parcel of virus management and that they are here to stay. In this clip, Kristy McSweeney discusses the balancing act for families that h…

Gary Horwitz, founder of the pioneering Australian food and homewares chain BaySwiss and creator of retail precinct experiences in many global cities, talks in this clip about online disruption to the retail sector and how the sector can successfully respond.By Jason de Sousa

#11 MBA Microbes Specials Series In this episode we will investigate How and why do microbes crack chemicals like PFAS and how did they found a way to bind metals? Special Guest: Peter Jaffe (Princeton University) Part of the special Microbes Series. What if we would be able to zoom out? Leaving the microscope and our traditional human perspective …

Mukund Narayana-Murty, CEO of AsiaLink Business, and I reflect on how proud we are to be Australian, how we respect both our Country and also the cultural heritage of our families, and the importance of values in the ever - and always continuing - improvement of our Australian Nation.By Jason de Sousa

There is increasing interest in Australia in building closer government to government and economic relations with India, particularly in the wake of increasing trade tensions between the major powers. In this clip, Julian Leeser MP, Member of the Australian Parliament, discusses his love of India and what is ahead in building closer relations betwe…

#10 MBA Microbes Specials Series In this episode we will investigate how bacteria will power the sustainable industrial revolution. What does nitrogen, calcium and hydrogen have to do with it? Why and how do the microbes do it? And what can we learn from microbes about their and even our own metabolism. Special Guest: Willy Verstraete (University G…

Over the last 20 years there has been accelerated growth in house prices across the World's major cities, with Australian cities running towards the top of the pack. Average house prices in Sydney and Melbourne have increased between five to six times in the last two decades. At the same time real wages have run stagnant, leading to growing afforda…

In this episode we will investigate the recent insights about bacterial biofilms. What is the role of Sialic Acid and what are the possible (industrial) applications? And what can we learn from microbes about their and even our own metabolism. Special Guest: Mark van Loosdrecht (Delft University of Technology) Part of the special Microbes Series. W…

The work from home “revolution” enforced by Covid-19 has put telecommunications and effective networks at the forefront of keeping people working and economies functioning - hastening technology evolution and adoption. Telecommunications networks have transformed how we live, work, and play in our cities, with each technology generation leading to …

In this episode we will investigate how it is possible that even bacteria can produce a type of bioplastics, which is called PHA. And even more remarkable this PHA turns out to be also a natural feedstock for them. Why and how do they do that? And what can we learn from microbes about their and even our own metabolism. Special Guest: Gert Jan Euver…

In this episode we will investigate why Microbes can crack even the most difficult and stable natural and man-made molecules, such as Benzene, Naphthalene and PFAS. Why and how do they do that? And what can we learn from microbes to improve our current energy-wasting chemistry? Special Guest: Jan Gerritse (Deltares). Jan is a microbial specialist c…

The Hon Warwick L Smith AO is one of Australia's most recognised and respected voices on trade and international business. He boasts a stellar career spanning politics, business and international relations - building closer business and government to government relations between Australia and Asia. He has in recent years focused on building closer …

Seven of Australia’s top 10 trading partners are in Asia, with trading relations driven by a growing proportion of cross-border investment and people movement between Asian nations and Australia. The ability of all nations to turbocharge economic recovery post Covid-19 will depend on building trading and investment links between nations stronger th…

Communications and political strategist and Sky News contributor, Kristy McSweeney, joins this episode of Smarter Cities. As Australia struggles with a potential second wave of COVID-19, the depth and impact of locking down the economy, and providing unprecedented publicly funded support, is becoming apparent. Australia has a forecast budget defici…

Covid-19 has brought much of the global economy to a stand-still, with containment of the virus in some countries but acceleration in others. Beyond the immediate health impacts, governments are now turning their minds to economic clean up. The IMF’s recent prediction has the world's largest economies – China, the US and the Euro area – set to expe…