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In recent years, cities have intensified the incorporation of digital technologies in urban services. Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G connectivity or Big Data are among the many that are being applied with the aim of designing safer, cleaner and more sustainable cities.

The latest Digital Cities Index (DCI) report developed by Economist Impact and supported by NEC, forecasts that expenditure on the development of smart cities could reach $327 billion by 2025, versus the $96 billion that was invested in 2019. This study ranks 30 cities around the world based on four thematic pillars: connectivity, services, culture and sustainability.

The five best-performing cities in ICD 2022 are Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Beijing, London and Seoul.  The findings show that these cities have a good rating in the performance of both services and political, economic strategies or technological plans such as the incorporation of 5G and Artificial Intelligence.

The digital transformation of cities is a process that involves several challenges and important decisions. According to Simon Hunter, executive director of the New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, this digitalization should follow a specific flow: "it is about knowing the problem you want to solve and using the technology that is best suited to solving it, not implementing a defined technology and then trying to solve it".

Research, training and the application of technologies to boost smart cities

Research and training are fundamental to the effective application of technologies that benefit smart cities. The BISITE Research Group of the University of Salamanca, which specializes in the development of technological projects in this area, offers its experience to train professionals in these areas through its Master in Smart Cities, and at the same time organizes conferences focused on scientific and academic advances in this field, as is the case of the "Sustainable Smart Cities and Territories International Conference" (SSCt), which will be held from 21 to 23 June in Manizales, Colombia.  

SSCt2023 is an open symposium that brings together researchers and developers from academia and industry to present and discuss the latest scientific and technical advances in the fields of Smart Cities and Territories.

During the conference different workshops will be held, dedicated to promoting research on the latest advances in smart cities and territories and their effective development; encouraging the exploration of the latest innovations in guidelines, theories, models, ideas, technologies, applications and tools to assess the impact of the approach; and to facilitate technology transfer.

In this regard, we invite you to submit proposals to the Workshops Program, in order to complement the formal technical program of the main conference and to foster intensive discussion on smart cities. Proposals may be submitted until 20 February, and more information can be found here.