The technologies that are shaping smart cities around the world

This week on SmartCitiesWorld, we’ve been reporting extensively on the ways that new technology applications in today’s cities are unlocking myriad insights for local authorities, from analysing urban space, to bolstering the security of new tech-enabled infrastructure.

Technologies that have hovered in and around the smart and sustainable cities space for the last five years or so are now beginning to find their niches for cities, regions and countries, as demonstrated this week by the roll-out of Vietnam’s  first nationwide LoRaWan IoT network and Helium blockchain system. Internet of Things specialist Kerlink and smart urban and industrial park development VIoT Group are partnering on the project, which is set to allow Vietnamese factories, businesses, cities and consumers to benefit from cost-effective, easy-to-deploy vertical wireless solutions.

We also reported this week that a new AI-enabled project has launched at London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, where Fyma’s AI platform has been used to  transform 32 CCTV cameras into smart devices  to deliver insights into life in the park, and inform the next chapter of the park’s future as an innovative and accessible area. The smart devices will help the London Legacy Development Corporation to examine everything from trends in bicycle users and e-scooters, to the popularity of bus stops and waiting times at road junctions, and enable them to take action to ensure the site’s long-term sustainable and accessible future.

As new technologies are implemented to change the way that authorities operate and react, security measures must keep pace with innovation, as evidenced this week by the development of a  new IoT security best practice blueprint  out of a Virginia-based smart city testbed. Led by the Virginia Innovative Partnership Corporation, the project will evaluate best practices and technology standards related to securing IoT infrastructure at the edge, and has had funding provided by the Virginia Smart Community Testbed and the Department of Homeland Security.

For this week’s most-read stories, take a look through the list below. As ever, if you’re part of a city-focused project you think we should know about, get in touch using the information below.

Luke Antoniou

Senior editor

SmartCitiesWorld

lukea@smartcitiesworld.net