Smart cities are the building blocks for smarter societies

Fast-paced digital transformation with citizens and sustainability at its centre will ensure a bright future for our increasingly connected society

Geertje Schuitema, associate professor, consumer behaviour and technology adoption, UCD School of Business and Peter Hendrick, chief executive, National Broadband Ireland

This year’s Connected Cities and Towns Summit took place virtually on December 7, featuring a programme of panels and talks on the future of smart towns, including new technologies, real-time data and how funding and financing can be secured.

The opening government address was delivered by Patrick Neary, chief technical officer of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications. “The pandemic has changed what it means to go online,” Neary said, “and there will be ...