Watch:Two new books based on URENIO Research projects and scientific collaboration are under publication.
Smart Cities and Connected Intelligence is about digital and cyber-physical platforms that enable people, institutions and machines to connect, collaborate and resolve complex problems of the 21st century. Internet and world-wide-web platforms, big data analytics, software applications, social media and civic technologies, allow for the creation of smart ecosystems in which connected intelligence emerges and disruptive, social, and eco-innovation flourish.
The focus of the book is on three grand challenges that matter for any territory, no matter where it is located: (a) smart growth, a path that more and more cities Continue reading
ies Summit is taking place on June 11, in the context of the African Construction Expo. The event is taking place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The city of Cologne, on the bank of the river Rhine, has designated a downtown street as a “Climate Street’, and it is expected to act as a living lab which will test climate-friendly technologies and make the flow of traffic more efficient. This initiative is run by the city together with the electricity company RheinEnergie.
Universities around the world, with the US leading the way, are taking notice of smart city developments and applying many of the same solutions. University campuses are ideal for this, as, in effect, they are mini metropolises of their own, with their own shops, roads, transport, residences, banks, and tens of thousands of visitors every day.
The cutting edge technological innovations which make smart cities what they are require sizeable economic investments on behalf of the city, region or country. As with all investments, if smart city initiatives do not return any tangible value, they represent money going down the drain. With the way economies work, technological development or benefits to citizens might not be enough to sustain the continuous advancement of smart cities if they come at a great financial loss. Fortunately, the successful implementation of smart city initiatives comes with many economic benefits.