We talk about smart cities a lot, but mainly we talk about their potential; for sustainability, for efficiency, for health, for safety, for innovation. In order to move past the hype and realise that potential, the sector needs to be less fragmented and more focused on interoperability, say several European leaders who will be hosting the Connected Smart Cities Conference in Brussels, this Thursday, 21 January. Smart cities are characterised by a heterogeneous technology environment. In the Internet of Things ecosystem, home automation devices, security systems, power grids and anything else you can think of, should be connected to the Internet and have to talk to one another. However, today, there are many different types of devices, adapted for specific cities, with multiple platforms, which result in all sorts of interoperability challenges. Martin Brynskov, Chair of the Open and Agile Smart Cities Initiative which is hosting the conference, welcomes city representatives, businesses and startups who […]