Places of proof: Urban testbeds as loci of tech innovation

Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) Annual International Conference 2024, London, 27–30 August 2024, panel on ‘Mapping new economic geographies of tech innovation and disruption’

The paper seeks to frame testbeds for new technologies in urban environments as crucial spots on the maps of current and future tech innovation processes. We refer to these spots as places of proof as they afford legitimacy for new technologies by proving (or possibly failing to prove) the feasibility and added value of these technologies under real-world conditions. Building on several literatures in science and technology studies, we focus empirically on the rise of Singapore as a quintessential place of proof.

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