Unfolding helps places understand, adapt to and take advantage of emerging digital technologies and practices

Places are being changed and re-shaped by technology

All kinds of geographies - cities, towns, regions, islands and countries - are being changed and re-shaped by digital technology. From new mobility solutions to the sensing of flows of people, air and energy, and the policy insights they can provide; from digital connectivity infrastructure like 5G and LoRaWAN, to the impacts of social media and information warfare on democratic engagement and public discourse; from the development of new industries, new ways of working and entirely new sources of economic value, to the need to skill up whole populations just to be able to fully participate in the digitally-enabled future.

Local, regional and national governments are required to chart courses through this reality - courses which seek to maximise the public good while minimising detrimental impacts; that promote the security and privacy of citizens, whilst not stifling innovation and enterprise, especially that of local industries. And this responsibility is not limited to government, but also pertains to a whole range of other institutions, businesses and collaborations.

It’s crucial for people in positions of authority in these places to understand these changes holistically, and to develop frameworks in which the broadest range of actors can participate in developing and deploying new technologies, and do so in ways that contribute positively to the whole. Such a holistic approach and open, public framework means that actors can understand how and where to contribute, and opens up more opportunities for collaboration across application areas, while allowing governance to more easily identify conflicts, inefficiencies and gaps in the local digital development ecosystem.

Unfolding’s mission is to help stakeholders understand these issues and develop such frameworks. It does this via a 3-pronged approach:

1. Consultancy to help places develop positive, holistic approaches to digital development and policy-making, from citizen data rights to digital master-planning, from formal strategy development to stakeholder engagement, coalition-building and public outreach.

2. Events to raise awareness of the digital technologies and trends that impact on the development of places, and increase understanding among leaders, policy-makers and the general public.

3. Workshops to build capacity within organisations and communities around emerging digital technologies, applications, potential impacts and the wider digital policy landscape.

Get in touch with us to set up a consultation, or use the contact form at the bottom of this page to enquire whether our services are right for you.