Less talk, more action: it’s time for Miami to commit to innovation

The city of Miami has a real shot at becoming an alternative to cities like New York and San Francisco as a leading innovation, technology, and digital hub for North America.

The question is whether Miami becomes primarily known as just a gateway to the innovation happening in Latin America and the emerging market potential therein, or whether it becomes a global innovation hub in its own right.

They represent two different outcomes, and right now it could go either way.

As a founder, I came to Miami by choice. But for me as for others, there are a range of attractive alternatives on offer for me to choose from when expanding my business.

Miami needs to sit up and recognize that if it wants to wear the innovation crown, it must commit resources, time, and energy.

Beyond just appetite and desire — which I believe Miami already has in spades — there must be hard investment dollars from the public coffers in a broad, effective, and ambitious innovation agenda. It’s time for less talk and more action.

With sunshine and beaches and aplenty, the temptation is all too often to take things slow, be leisurely, and “let the good times roll.”

But good business leaders and entrepreneurs know they don’t have time twiddle their thumbs.

When I talk to my peers in Europe and Asia, I hear the same thing: Miami is a great city with a friendly business environment, a buzzing night life, and a wonderful culinary history, but as an innovation hub more needs to be done.

Substance in this context means going far beyond checklists and ribbon-cutting ceremonies and press releases. Real innovation requires a commitment to ecosystem building, rolling up sleeves and a bit of old-fashioned elbow grease.

How do we foster a culture of innovation? How can businesses implement artificial intelligence and machine learning?

Why does regional collaboration with Latin America matter? How can the public and private sectors better support entrepreneurship? What is the relevance of blockchain and cryptocurrency to my business?

How does urban innovation and smart city development affect my workers and the future of my business?

Should I care about fintech? These are all important questions that need to be not just debated, but implemented at scale.

As we go into 2019, my peers and I in the global innovation and business community are watching Miami closely. We are watching to see if it’s a city we want to double down in, expand our operations and invest more time, energy, and resources.

These are all precious commodities that we don’t give away easily.

If Miami is really prepared to play on the same level as cities like New York and San Francisco, we want to be convinced.

If Miami really is serious about innovation beyond the elevator talk and press releases, now is the time to take massive action towards that.

Of course, I want Miami to succeed. That’s why I’m here. I hope the community rises to the challenge.

Daniel Seal is the founder and CEO of Unbound Innovations Ltd., a global innovation platform with festivals in London, Singapore, Bahrain and Miami. Unbound bridges the gap between entrepreneurs, corporate business, governments and trade agencies to fuel a digital future. To purchase tickets to the Miami festival, visit the Unbound Miami website https://unbound.live/

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