Abstract
The emergence of digital technologies has transformed organizational innovation with important implications for a city, its economy and policymaking. Despite this, research on how capabilities underpin innovation through smart city initiatives is still lacking. To address this gap, we conduct an empirical investigation of smart city initiatives in Macau, a former Portuguese colony and now special administrative region (SAR) of China. The case study adopts a qualitative approach, using data collected through fieldwork observations and in-depth interviews with stakeholders, and analysis of secondary documents. The study develops a stage-based assessment of innovation capabilities related to the use of technologies in smart city development. It identifies three stages characterized by specific city-level innovation capabilities: sensing, seizing and transforming. This study uncovers important features of Macau’s innovation system, the intermediary role of platforms, incubators and associations, and the development of technology-enabled capabilities in organizations to help propel the city’s transformation. This study, the first of such kind about the city where “the East meets the West,” offers first-hand insights into its smart city development, with critiques on existing initiatives and recommendations for future policymaking.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-2023
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1080/07352166.2023.2211274
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Repository Citation
He, Yujia; Tan, Felix Ter Chian; Leong, Carmen; Huang, Jingbo; and Junio, Don Rodney, "Realizing innovation and sustainability: A case study of Macau SAR’s smart city development capabilities" (2023). Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications. 5.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/patterson_facpub/5
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Notes/Citation Information
Yujia He, Felix Tan, Carmen Leong, Jingbo Huang & Don Rodney Ong Junio (2023) Realizing innovation and sustainability: A case study of Macau SAR’s smart city development capabilities, Journal of Urban Affairs, DOI: 10.1080/07352166.2023.2211274