The Sharing Economy is a socio-economic ecosystem built around the sharing of human, physical and intellectual resources.

Whilst the Sharing Economy is currently in its infancy, this is only the beginning: in its entirety and the potential, it is a new and alternative socio-economic system which embeds sharing and collaboration at its heart – across all aspects of social and economic life.

The leading businesses that are advancing the concept of the “sharing economy” are in many respects no longer insurgents and newcomers. The size and scale of Uber, Airbnb and several other firms now rival, or even surpass, those of some of the world’s largest businesses in transportation, hospitality, and other sectors. As the economic power of these technology-driven firms grows, there continue to be regulatory and policy skirmishes on every possible front, across cities and towns spanning the United States, Europe and beyond.

Here is one example in China:

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