Category: Smart City

Kansai Electric Power, Japan’s second largest electricity supplier, is creating what it claims to be the world’s biggest standalone rooftop solar panel installation on a factory in Thailand’s high-tech Eastern Economic Corridor. The solar panels on the plant, which manufactures Falken tyres for the European market, are reportedly equivalent in size to more than 18 football pitches. It is located in the Amata City Rayong industrial park, 135km southwest of Bangkok. Thailand is bidding to become the leader in clean energy in Southeast Asia and, once complete, this project will…

The Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO) economic zone has implemented 14 AI smart pedestrian crossing systems. The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (Diez) is collaborating with Derq, a developer of artificial intelligence (AI) analytics solutions for road safety and traffic management on the project. Artificial intelligence platform Derq’s Real-Time Perception and Connectivity AI Platform is designed to detect pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users (VRUs). The system, a first-of-its-kind in the region, integrates with road infrastructure to enhance safety measures. Using patented behaviour prediction models, the technology can proactively activate…

The challenge is designed to accelerate the development of innovative sustainability solutions in Singapore and help achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Tools that help organisations identify and transition to renewable energy, create and sell carbon credits and track sustainability have been named as the winners of the Singapore GreenTech Challenge 2023. The context is a collaboration between Microsoft, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and the tech community SGTech. Sustainability solutions Each winner will receive up to $350,000 in benefits and will be onboarded to the Microsoft Independent Software Vendor…

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced that it has expanded its real-time urban data service with the potential to link with digital technologies including virtual reality (VR) and the metaverse. The city has extended services to include information on not just population density and traffic congestion, but also cultural events and other location-based services. Population density According to SMG, as a result, a tourist visiting Seoul was able to check the status of population density and traffic congestion before visiting Deoksugung-gil and Jeongdong-gil, which were scheduled to be crowded by…

Siemens has announced the opening of Egypt’s first Smart Cities Experience Centre, offering customers an immersive experience that combines real and digital worlds. The centre will showcase the latest technologies for creating sustainable and efficient smart city infrastructure, buildings, and industries. It is located at Siemens in Egypt’s head office in Cairo. Smart city realisation The Smart Cities Experience Centre aims to provide a rich experience based on real project experience and aims to help ensure a successful smart city realisation. Under this concept, Siemens claims visitors can understand the…

Sustainable cities developer URB has unveiled “Dubai Reefs”, a floating living lab for marine restoration and ecotourism. The project aims to generate more than 30,000 jobs in a green economy. The Dubai Reefs project consists of a sustainable floating community for marine research, regeneration and ecotourism, and includes residential, hospitality, retail, educational and research facilities. Coastal cities The marine institute will be the heart of the project, working towards greater protection of the marine and coastal environment of Dubai. It aims to accelerate the marine science and conservation capacity of…

The global smart city technology market is expected to grow from approximately $121.1bn in annual revenue in 2023 to $301.2bn by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate of 10.7 per cent. The report says smart city innovation will be driven by the “intersection of social, environmental, and economic urban challenges” and the impact of transformative technologies. Digitalisation of city services The report, Smart Cities, highlights how cities are showing a strong commitment to infrastructure investment, digital technologies, and increased sustainability, often supported by central government funding. These ambitions will…

The number of internet of things (IoT) connected devices installed in commercial smart buildings reached more than 1.5 billion in 2022, according to smart building research specialist Memoori. This represents around 11.8 per cent of the total installed base of connected devices worldwide. It forecasts that the number used in commercial smart buildings will grow at a 13.7 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2023 and 2028, reaching an estimated 3.25 billion devices by 2028. IoT adoption phase Memoori reports that growth in the total installed base is…

Dubai is launching a platform to encourage citizens to provide feedback and contribute to enhancing its government services. The platform will allow officials and stakeholders to directly receive and respond to customers’ opinions, suggestions, and ideas and any challenges they may face through a three-step process. Digital Dubai The launch of 04 platform aligns with Dubai’s 360 Services policy, which places customers at the heart of developing government services and provides them with a unified platform to voice their opinions, offer suggestions and raise any challenges or complaints. It was…

The Saudi Arabian greenfield development of Neom has chosen Worley to provide engineering and advisory services to its energy and water company, Enowa. It will provide the water supply infrastructure that will deliver up to two million cubic meters of desalinated water per day to the site, which will include The Line smart city development. Water infrastructure projects The project scopes relate to water production, brine beneficiation, management, and storage. The water infrastructure projects will be powered by renewable electricity, and the desalination process will not discharge any brine into…

Mount Hampden, New Harare, has broken ground on a new $500m (Dh1.83bn) hi-tech park near the Zimbabwean capital Harare. Zim Cyber City, being developed by UAE-based diversified industrial conglomerate Mulk International is currently under construction. Mixed-use development The master plan for the 2.5 million square feet mixed-use development includes a newly completed parliament building, ministry buildings as well as high-end residential and commercial buildings. Zim Cyber City will facilitate the use of blockchain and digital assets licences, bank accounts, office space and high-end residential living for all entities and individuals…