Trend Report Panel Discussion (21 May): 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.

Trend Report Webinar (19 May): How AI and data are transforming transport operations and services

Explore how data and AI are being used in urban transport networks to support planning, day-to-day operations, and improve outcomes for communities and passengers.

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.

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

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.

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 | Smart Cities News

Smart Cities News

Top 100 smart city solutions chosen in resilience challenge

Entries invited for 2024 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge

Resilience02 Apr 2024

Challenge, organised by Leading Cities, aims to connect global entrepreneurial ideas with local projects that foster innovation and positively impact communities.

Global organisations team to pilot humanitarian technology

Resilience26 Mar 2024

Leading Cities, Australian Red Cross, and QBE Foundation are joining forces to pilot data-driven technology solutions to help tackle humanitarian crises.

Innovative charging system startup wins resilience challenge

Electric vehicles08 Nov 2023

Itselectric was selected as City Solution of the Year from a pool of more than 650 entrepreneurs from 80 countries who competed in the QBE AcceliCITY challenge.

Top 10 urban sustainability solutions for 2023

Govtech accelerator announces top 100 resiliency solutions

Climate action13 Jun 2023

Resilience challenge has curated what it describes as a collection of highly promising solutions to future-proof cities, protect residents, and promote equity.

Cities offered free solution to reduce plastic waste

Smart waste15 Dec 2022

Leading Cities is inviting local governments and private organisations to apply for a free plastic waste recycling pilot that will also reduce waste collection costs.

Microeconomy startup wins smart city resilience challenge

Smart waste11 Nov 2022

Automedi, which converts plastic waste into community products using 3D printing, is named winner in the 2022 QBE AcceliCITY resilience challenge.

Global smart city resiliency challenge unveils finalists

Resilience14 Sep 2022

Common city challenges tackled by the finalists in this year’s QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge span areas such as digital infrastructure and comms tech, public transportation, renewable energy and fresh food shortage.

AstraZeneca named winner of Leading Cities’ wastewater pilot

Water10 Jun 2022

Through this pilot project, the pharmaceutical company’s largest manufacturing site will partner with Pharem Biotech’s Zymatic solution to more effectively treat wastewater by removing organic pollutants.

Achieving climate change with cities

Resilience22 Apr 2022

We have seen great gains in terms of building resilience and tackling critical challenges by investing in smart city solutions but, as Michael Lake of Leading Cities highlights, we need to build the ecosystem to achieve so much more.

Entries invited for global smart city resilience challenge

Resilience04 Apr 2022

Leading Cities has launched the 2022 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, a global competition that aims to accelerate the growth of start-up companies transforming cities worldwide.

Applications invited for no-cost pilot of water treatment solution to remove pollutants

Water01 Feb 2022

Local governments can compete for use of the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge grand prize winner’s solution to properly treat water and remove relevant organic pollutants.

The scalable impact of resilient city solutions

Opinions01 Dec 2021

Michael Lake and Zoe Selman of Leading Cities say the key to resiliency is innovative thinking and technology and urge cities to engage and empower the changemakers, such as start-ups.

Two critical success factors for sustainable cities

Opinions05 Nov 2021

Leading Cities’ CEO, Michael Lake, and Andrew McCue, an economy consultant at Metabolic, urge leadership in two key areas that provide hope in cities’ battle against climate change and their shift towards sustainability.

QBE AcceliCity Resilience Challenge winner announced

Resilience18 Oct 2021

Pharem Biotech’s solution removes hazardous organic pollutants from water and its implementation is reportedly relatively simple, leveraging existing water treatment equipment.

The 10 start-ups confronting climate change head-on

News15 Sep 2021

The finalists in this year’s QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge have been announced and will participate in a boot camp later this month to compete for $150,000 in pilot project funding.

Hamburg schools chosen for renewable energy pilot through AcceliGOV challenge

News17 Jun 2021

Green electricity start-up Bioo will provide education kits to 10 high schools in the German city to educate students on its technology, which generates electricity from soil and plants.

Start-ups invited to enter 2021 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge

News01 Apr 2021

The global competition offers total prize money of $150,000 in funding for the winning entrepreneurs or ventures to further develop their ideas and help to transform cities.

Green electricity start-up wins 2020 QBE AcceliCity Resilience Challenge

News23 Oct 2020

Barcelona-based start-up Bioo has developed a unique way of generating electricity from plants’ photosynthesis that doesn’t damage them and is 100 per cent renewable.

AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge finalists announced

News15 Sep 2020

The 11 start-ups chosen are committed to tackling common urban challenges in areas such as air quality, carbon emissions, digital inclusion and congestion.

Carbon upcycling company named AcceliCITY resilience track champion

News07 Sep 2020

The company, which converts CO2 gas into solid products, has been working since the start of the pandemic to develop a novel filtration material using CO2-embedded additives.

Call for global start-ups to help increase urban resiliency

News13 May 2020

QBE AcceliCity programme will recognise and support innovators which leverage smart city solutions that help cities manage and respond to physical, economic and social risk.

Inaugural report card on US smart city progress: “Disappointing”

Special Reports19 Sep 2019

Of 24 cities, Seattle received the highest rating overall and St. Louis the lowest.

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