Elly Yates-Roberts |
Governments and businesses have been exploring new ways to empower cities and drive urban innovation at Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona, Spain.
One of the key topics being discussed at the event is mobility and transport, an area in which a number of businesses are using technology to provide new solutions. For example, US-based firm Umojo has been showcasing NexCity, a cloud-based platform designed to modernise municipal parking infrastructure.
PTV has been demonstrating how its solutions can be used to improve traffic and transport in urban environments. Its traffic management offering – PTV Optima – uses transport network modelling and real-time data to provide traffic operators and road users with current and predicted traffic conditions.
In addition, Cubic Transportation Systems is exhibiting Cubic Urban Mobility Back Office. The revenue management system allows users to manage complex, multimodal transportation networks while offering travellers a single account to manage their travel needs.
Accenture has been highlighting its smart city infrastructure platform – called The Future of Transport Operations – which enables city leaders to digitalise urban infrastructure operations, while NTT Data has been showcasing its NTT Smart Solutions. This data analytics solution set uses the internet of things to transform aggregated data relevant to city services into actionable intelligence.
Other providers have been discussing how their solutions can help to optimise the movement of people without vehicles. For example, Belgian firm CrowdScan has created a crowd analytics platform that monitors crowd density and movement in urban environments, enabling users to make more informed decisions and finetune policies.
SCEWC also provides an opportunity for organisations worldwide to highlight methods and technologies that transform urban infrastructure. For example, Axis Communications has been highlighting its solutions that empower city leaders with high-powered sensors that quickly process data and enable the delivery of real-time services. In a similar vein, Urban Sense has created a smart city data platform that collates real-time data from a variety of vendors. Users and citizens can use this information to compare services, generate insights and ultimately make more informed decisions.
Social media platform provider LinkedIn is also at the event, outlining how the online platform can help to fill talent gaps in cities. “LinkedIn’s vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce,” said a spokesperson from the firm. “Working with public sector stakeholders is critically important as we think about the skills that are needed for cities and organisations to thrive in the future. Being at SCEWC enables us to showcase how LinkedIn can help cities to understand the world of talent as they plan for the future.”
New technologies will be increasingly important as city leaders plan for the future of their urban environments. In line with this, Siemens has been advocating the value of digital twin services, presenting how it is working with Bentley Systems to transform Siemensstadt Square in Berlin, Germany, using a digital replica of the area.
SCEWC will take place at Fira de Barcelona, Spain, until 17 November 2022.