Panel Discussion (30 Jun): Unlocking value in cities from buildings, data and AI

Explore how AI, building data and connected urban infrastructure can help cities improve sustainability, resilience and operational performance.

OnDemand Trend Report Panel Discussion: Operating smarter: using digital twins and AI to reshape urban infrastructure management

Discover how AI-powered digital twins are transforming urban infrastructure and how these innovations can improve efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

SmartCitiesWorld Summit 2026: connecting climate action, resilience and urban innovation

As cities confront the combined pressures of climate change, infrastructure resilience and digital transformation, the SmartCitiesWorld Summit 2026 will bring together urban leaders and partners during London Climate Action Week to explore how these agendas intersect – and how cities can translate strategy into practical action.

How AI cities shape Malaysia’s digital future – and the role of the region’s first Smart City ExpoSponsored by Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur

Discover how Malaysia is leading the way in AI-powered urban innovation at the first Southeast Asian Smart City Expo in Kuala Lumpur.

Smart Cities Reports

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Sunderland

Find out how Sunderland is repositioning itself as a leading smart city – using digital infrastructure and low-carbon innovation to build a resilient, future-focused economy in the latest SmartCitiesWorld City Profile.

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Dublin

Find out how Dublin is innovating to improve experiences and services for its communities in the latest SmartCitiesWorld City Profile, including digital twin projects, traffic reduction, and economic growth.

Podcasts

How cities can own their data and their future with sovereign AISponsored by PNY Technologies

Tune into the SmartCitiesWorld podcast to understand the world of sovereign AI for cities, featuring PNY Technologies’ Youssef Nadiri as our expert guest.

Podcast: Using mobility data to shape the future of citiesSponsored by TomTom

TomTom’s Ralf-Peter Schäfer discusses the power of real-time data in reshaping city life, and what the future holds for smart urban mobility.

Opinions

Transforming indoor public safety with smart sensor networksSponsored by Motorola Solutions

How smart sensor networks can help improve indoor safety by detecting risks early, improving situational awareness and supporting healthier, more secure and sustainable buildings.

How AI will define cities and mobility in 2026Sponsored by ST Engineering

Gareth Tang, President of Urban Solutions at ST Engineering, explains how urban AI applications are set to evolve, detailing projects where AI is already making significant impact.

Home | Opinions

22 - 26 June 2026: Find out more

Latest City Profile

SmartCitiesWorld City Profile – Sunderland

Smart Cities Reports

Latest Trend Report

Trend Report: The impact of AI and data on transportation operations and services

Trend Series

Delve into how cities are addressing the challenges of building intelligent transport systems and using AI and data to transform operations and user experience.

Latest Webinar

Panel Discussion (30 Jun): Unlocking value in cities from buildings, data and AI

Webinars

Explore how AI, building data and connected urban infrastructure can help cities improve sustainability, resilience and operational performance.

Latest Summit Speakers
(22-26 June)

Lord Marvin Rees OBE

Former Mayor

Bristol City Council

Find out more

Julie Foley OBE

Director of Flood Risk Strategy & Adaptation

Environment Agency

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Sherelle Fairweather

Digital Strategy Lead

Manchester’s Digital Strategy

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Jaromir Beranek

Deputy Mayor for Transport

City of Prague

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Liz St Louis

Smart City Director

Sunderland City Council

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Cllr Susan Aitken

Leader

Glasgow City Council

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Mark Wheeler

CIO

Montgomery County

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John Moran

Mayor

Limerick City and County Council

Find out more

Matjaž Rakovec

Mayor

City of Kranj

Find out more

Erin Mendenhall

Mayor

Salt Lake City

Find out more

Julia King

The Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS

House of Lords

Find out more

Latest Podcast

Cities Thriving on Lighting, Episode 3 – What global cities are learning from smart lighting

Podcasts

Join the final episode of Cities Thriving on Lighting to discover how global cities are approaching smart lighting and the related cybersecurity risks today.

Latest Urban Exchange Podcast

Urban Exchange Podcast Episode 32 – Flood and energy resilience in Quezon City

Urban Exchange Podcast

Tune in for the latest Urban Exchange where we get a first-hand account of city resilience measures from Quezon City following unexpected extreme rainfall.

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UK scientists use AI to build passenger transport simulators

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SmartCitiesWorld Newsletters (Daily/Weekly)

Our editorial newsletter pulls together our latest news items into one email, direct to your inbox. We also feature our latest city interviews, Special Reports and Guest Opinions.

Opinions

We ask cities and industry experts from around the world to give us their opinion on smart city technology and challenges.

Join the UN to discuss responsible geospatial and physical AI

Opinions24 Apr 2026by Paul Wilson

The UN Virtual Worlds Day event will explore how we can turn AI, spatial intelligence, and the Citiverse ecosystem into trusted, people-centred outcomes, explains Paul Wilson, so why not join the conversation?

Michael Davis, Senior Director, Motorola Solutions

Transforming indoor public safety with smart sensor networks

Citizen security20 Mar 2026by Michael Davis, Senior Director, Motorola Solutions

How smart sensor networks can help improve indoor safety by detecting risks early, improving situational awareness and supporting healthier, more secure and sustainable buildings.

Advancing citizen-first public services through AI and digital transformation

AI and Machine Learning18 Mar 2026

Huawei’s vision at MWC shows how AI‑driven digital platforms can help governments deliver faster, seamless and citizen‑focused public services.

Gareth Tang, President of Urban Solutions, ST Engineering

How AI will define cities and mobility in 2026

AI and Machine Learning19 Feb 2026by Gareth Tang, President of Urban Solutions, ST Engineering

Gareth Tang, President of Urban Solutions at ST Engineering, explains how urban AI applications are set to evolve, detailing projects where AI is already making significant impact.

Cecília Correia, Senior Water Solutions Manager, Bentley Systems

Why water must lead the smart city conversation

Opinions10 Feb 2026by Cecília Correia, Senior Water Solutions Manager, Bentley Systems

Cecilia Correia, Senior Water Solutions Manager at Bentley Systems explains how strategy, policy and technology must combine to create water smart cities that are fit for today and tomorrow.

Carlo Bernocco: Head of Business and Customer Success, Paradox Engineering

Smart lighting: enabling smart cities beyond illumination

Opinions20 Nov 2025by Carlo Bernocco: Head of Business and Customer Success, Paradox Engineering

Carlo Bernocco, Head of Business and Customer Success at Paradox Engineering, explores how smart lighting is evolving from energy-saving infrastructure to a multifunctional platform at the heart of urban innovation.

Mostafa Othman: Smart Cities Programme Director, Honeywell

Embedding intelligence: from smart to cognitive cities

Opinions31 Oct 2025by Mostafa Othman: Smart Cities Programme Director, Honeywell

Mostafa Othman, smart cities programme director, Honeywell, examines how AI is heralding a new urban intelligence where cities learn, adapt and optimise themselves in real time.

Ralf-Peter Schäfer: VP Product Management Traffic and Travel Information at TomTom

Data-driven mobility in cities: the role of maps and traffic data

Opinions27 Oct 2025by Ralf-Peter Schäfer: VP Product Management Traffic and Travel Information at TomTom

Ralf-Peter Schäfer, VP Product Management Traffic and Travel Information at TomTom, explains how mapping data, combined with real-time and community traffic data, is driving a revolution in urban mobility.

Aneek Sarker: Senior Product Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America

Using AI to reimagine infrastructure management and mobility planning

Opinions22 Oct 2025by Aneek Sarker: Senior Product Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America

Aneek Sarker, Senior Product Manager, Mitsubishi Electric Automotive America, explores how AI can help cities shift from reactive problem-solving to proactive capital planning.

Andrea Sorri: Segment Development Manager, Smart Cities, Axis Communications

Beyond video: how cameras as IoT sensors are changing city safety operations

Opinions06 Oct 2025by Andrea Sorri: Segment Development Manager, Smart Cities, Axis Communications

Andrea Sorri of Axis Communications explains how AI can be used to maximise insights from existing infrastructure and enable cities to avoid the costs of deploying new sensors.

Engineering healthier cities through smart technology

Opinions02 Jul 2025by Dennis Dokter: Smart Cities Lead, Nexus

Dennis Dokter, Smart Cities Lead at Nexus, explores how technologies like digital twins can translate into tangible improvements in residents’ daily lives, reshaping the fabric of urban life for better health and wellbeing.

A new chapter in digital transformation for cities

Opinions27 May 2025

We explore how AI and data-driven solutions are taking cities to a new level of digital transformation, with a focus on Huawei’s role in global smart city development.

How smart city life is transforming futures across Sunderland

Inclusivity30 Apr 2025by Liz St Louis

Liz St Louis, director of smart cities and enabling services at Sunderland City Council, shares details of the real impact of its Digital Inclusion Programme, supported by Boldyn Networks.

Marc Reinhardt: Public Sector Global Industry Leader at Capgemini

Modernising public services and the $9.8 trillion case for govtech

Opinions23 Apr 2025by Marc Reinhardt: Public Sector Global Industry Leader at Capgemini

Government technology is entering a new era of modernisation, fostering innovations that are enabling a digital and sustainable future, says Capgemini’s Marc Reinhardt.

Jonas Allen: VP of Marketing at Sand Technologies

AI has huge potential for residents – but city leaders must build trust

AI and Machine Learning16 Apr 2025by Jonas Allen: VP of Marketing at Sand Technologies

Jonas Allen, VP of marketing at Sand Technologies, reflects on exclusive new research showing that city residents see the potential of AI, but have concerns about government deploying it in a trustful, transparent manner.

Matthew Panszczyk: Managing Director of Energy and Utilities, Sand Technologies

Identifying meaningful use cases to fulfil the promise of AI in cities

AI and Machine Learning03 Mar 2025by Matthew Panszczyk: Managing Director of Energy and Utilities, Sand Technologies

Matthew Panszczyk at Sand Technologies explains the strategy for AI deployments is sometimes more important for success than the technology itself.

John Kimmance: Chief Customer Officer, Ordnance Survey

Why geospatial data is key to building a smarter future

AI and Machine Learning24 Feb 2025by John Kimmance: Chief Customer Officer, Ordnance Survey

Geospatial data is the glue that makes other data interoperable in public and private sector projects, says John Kimmance, chief customer officer at Ordnance Survey.

Abhishek Sandhir: Managing Director, Telecom – Global at Sand Technologies

Building networks that support liveable, connected cities

4G and 5G13 Feb 2025by Abhishek Sandhir: Managing Director, Telecom – Global at Sand Technologies

Abhishek Sandhir, managing director, telecom – global at Sand Technologies, explains how the future of cities relies on connectivity, and looks at where to begin and how to prioritise in building better urban networks.

Charbel Aoun, NVIDIA & Wayne Arvidson, Dell Technologies

Enhancing operational efficiency in cities through AI

AI and Machine Learning29 Oct 2024by Charbel Aoun, NVIDIA & Wayne Arvidson, Dell Technologies

Wayne Arvidson, global CTO of verticals, computer vision and AI at Dell Technologies, and Charbel Aoun, smart cities and spaces director EMEA at NVIDIA, delve into the possibilities and use cases that are making AI adoption a priority for cities looking to bolster their operations.

What is ‘Smart City’ and why do we need them?

Smart city is the framework based on Information and Communication technologies that enable the development of sustainable practices to address the urbanisation challenges. Leveraging the technology is one of the foremost pillars of ‘smart cities’ in order to increase efficiencies and improve the quality of resident’s life and the city’s services.

SmartCitiesWorld Newsletters (Daily/Weekly)

Our editorial newsletter pulls together our latest news items into one email, direct to your inbox. We also feature our latest city interviews, Special Reports and Guest Opinions.