Startups, Know-How and Sustainability in the Emerging Addis Ababa Smart-City: How an Improved Mind Frame for Glocal Startups in Addis Ababa Can Lead to a Smarter Sustainability and Governance

Abstract

Achieving the new standards of livability while ensuring the sustainability of the booming urban settlements is getting more and more difficult in a world where the new actors and technologies will make the difference.In this paper, we explore the need to rely more on small and micro enterprises (SME) to face the Addis Ababa’s future and how the acquisition of knowledge through a more personal-entrepreneurial networking can bring the required readiness and sustainability.We have approached to this issue through the study of the smart-city and the possibilities of the public-private-partnership (PPP) with SME. In the same way, we have weighted the problems of colonialism and how it makes more difficult to live in a well-run smart-city when is burdened by this past.We have found that there is a relation between more sustainable countries and a greater prevalence of successful startups according the size of their economies although this can be hindered by the colonial legacy. In this way, the social impact of colonialism in a country is associated with a worse top performance of their smart-cities.In conclusion, Addis Ababa (as well other emerging Ethiopian smart-cities like Hawassa, Bahir Dar, Dire Dawa, Mekelle, Harar, Adama, Gonadar, Debre Birhan, Bishoftu, Jimma, Wolaita Soddo, etc) would be improved importing the know-how through SMEs and adapting the products to their own culture and diversity rather than doing quite the opposite. For this to happen, some governance initiatives must to be taken: lighten the SMEs tax burden, sharing risks and returns in PPP and enhance financial security around knowledge import.

Keywords: Addis Ababa, smart-city, startup, sustainability, socioeconomic justice