4 key takeaways from the World Smart City Forum 2018

Cities of the future aim to be smart, safe and sustainable. The World Smart City Forum 2018 in Santa Fe, Argentina, 29 November, discussed the innovation required to achieve this vision in the Americas.

Organized in partnership by IEC, ISO and ITU – the world’s foremost international standards bodies – the Santa Fe forum brought smart city innovators together with standardization experts to explore the urban-development challenges most relevant to cities in the Americas.

Four key takeaways from the forum highlight the optimism surrounding new technologies’ potential to enable the transition to smart cities as well as recognition of the extensive collaboration required to fulfill this potential.

New technologies can assist in meeting age-old challenges

Smart city strategies are employing new technologies to overcome age-old challenges to sustainable urban development such as pressure on energy, water and transport infrastructure. The forum called for cities in the Americas to progress on the basis of their understanding of local contexts, always remaining aware of citizens’ privacy when adopting new technologies and supporting standards.

Public policy can promote standards-based innovation

National governments hope to provide cities with common frameworks to steer them towards best practices as well as common means to report development progress. The forum highlighted the need for standards initiatives to consider the perspectives of both the public and private sectors, encouraging standards bodies to build strong relationships with national governments in support of the implementation of smart city standards.

Success stories support standards adoption

Technology will be a key enabler of the innovation required to transition to smart cities. Shared, secure and scalable infrastructure – built on common standards – will offer essential support to this innovation. Highlighting success stories in standards-based innovation, said participants in the forum, will be of considerable value in promoting the adoption of smart-city standards and related best practices worldwide.

Success stories result from effective collaboration

Success stories will result from effective communication and collaboration between standards developers and the cities to benefit from smart city standards, said participants in the forum. The forum said the same of collaboration in standards development – capitalizing on accelerating innovation in fields such as 5G, the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence will call for the close coordination of related standards initiatives.