Smart Cities Council - Asia Pacific

🚀 Darwin’s Smart City journey just levelled up – meet the Smart Trailer! After the success of our Smart Solar Poles, we’re taking innovation on the road with this portable, tech-savvy solution that’s already making a difference in our community. 🐾 First deployment? City of Darwin Richardson Ward Dog Parks, where the Smart Trailer captured valuable insights to help us better understand how these social spaces are being used. These insights will guide future improvements for both people and pets! 💡 Why the Smart Trailer is a game-changer: ● 🌍 Portable and versatile: It goes where the data is needed most. ● 🔍 Insight-driven: Packed with technology to track and optimise space utilisation. ● 🤝 Community-focused: Designed to enhance liveability across Darwin. This innovation builds on what we shared in last year’s webinar about using technology to understand recreation spaces – and now we’re seeing it in action, shaping real outcomes for our city. Find out more about our Smart Solar Movement Solutions https://lnkd.in/gqUUyyrC #innovation #smartcity #darwin #communityfirst #datadriven

Following a symposium in late 2024, the APEC - Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation published the APEC Report on Sustainable Cities Development to Promote Sustainable and Inclusive Growth for the Asia-Pacific. This milestone reflects the collective insights shared during the online event, including commentary from Smart Cities Council Global Thought Leader Mark W. Verheyen and collaborators from HINICIO. The report explores critical strategies for developing sustainable and low-carbon cities, emphasizing the role of innovative measures and digital technologies such as Blockchain, IoT, Big Data, and AI in driving urban transformation. Key findings highlight: • Energy-efficient buildings using IoT and AI to reduce emissions. • The importance of interoperability in facilitating smarter urban processes and reduced costs. • Public-private collaborations to achieve inclusive development and urban resilience. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gvxFwwSr #SustainableCities #SmartCities #APEC #Innovation #Collaboration

Smart Cities Council is proud to welcome Lighting Council Australia as its newest member in the APAC region. Smart Cities Council has joined Lighting Council Australia in a reciprocal move, cementing a collaborative relationship that prioritises partnerships with professional bodies to drive sustainable urban innovation. Lighting Council Australia, the peak body for Australia’s lighting industry, is dedicated to promoting environmentally responsible, energy-efficient, and high-quality lighting systems. The organisation advocates for best practices in lighting design, education, and compliance with Australian and international standards, while representing the industry to policymakers and stakeholders across the globe. “Lighting is a cornerstone of smart cities, contributing to energy efficiency, public safety, and overall urban liveability,” said Robyn Francis, Regional Lead for Smart Cities Council - Asia Pacific. “Partnering with Malcolm R. and Lighting Council Australia enables us to work closely with a key industry leader to align on sustainable goals and amplify the impact of quality lighting systems in city design.” This collaboration reflects the Smart Cities Council’s ongoing commitment to working with professional bodies to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions. By joining forces, the two organisations aim to influence policies, standards, and practices that shape the future of urban lighting and smart city development. Together, Smart Cities Council and Lighting Council Australia are illuminating the path to smarter, more sustainable cities.

There is still time to book your exhibition booth and attendance at InnoEx 2025, to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited from 13 - 16 April. As a premier business platform for next-gen smart solutions, cutting-edge technologies and disruptive innovations, InnoEX is the go-to place for regional and cross-sector collaborations with a special focus on Asia. InnoEX brings together influential tech experts, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and investors from the region to discuss collaborations, share upcoming trends and exchange insights into future opportunities. Join us to gather first-hand market intelligence and meet your potential partners. Email engagement@smartcitiescouncil.com for more information. Hong Kong Trade Development Council Smart Cities Council Smart Cities Council - India Smart Cities Council - ASEAN

To kick off 2025, we would like to welcome Bobby Varanasi, COP and Regenerative Futures as our newest member, expanding our capacity to drive transformative growth and resilience across the Asia-Pacific region. Regenerative Futures is an independent business strategy and globalisation advisory firm, known for its unique approach to enabling sustainable and impactful transformation in organisations and communities.   With a combined expertise of over 120 years across technology, business services, strategic management, and government policy, Regenerative Futures blends CXO-level insight with hands-on experience to deliver actionable plans and accelerated execution. Their innovative frameworks focus on three key pillars: utility, growth, and resilience.   Regenerative Futures has a proven track record of enabling internal transformations through collaborative models, fostering external growth through proactive marketplace strategies, and driving socio-economic value by aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.   “Regenerative Futures brings a wealth of knowledge and a practical approach to helping governments, civil society, and private sectors achieve sustainable, inclusive growth,” said Robyn Francis, Regional Lead - Smart Cities Council – Asia Pacific. “Their commitment to co-creating solutions and delivering measurable impacts aligns seamlessly with our mission to build smarter, more resilient cities.”   Smart Cities Council looks forward to collaborating with Regenerative Futures to advance sustainable innovation and deliver lasting value to communities across the region. Welcome, Regenerative Futures! #RegenerativeFutures #SustainableTransformation #AsiaPacific #SmartCitiesCouncil #SDGs #BusinessStrategy #Resilience #TransformativeGrowth #SustainableInnovation #CommunityImpact Smart Cities Council

Local councils play a vital role in managing diverse facilities for their communities, from libraries and recreation centres to housing blocks and multi-story office buildings. With such a wide array of security needs and a responsibility to rate-paying citizens, having a reliable, comprehensive platform to oversee these sites is essential. It’s inspiring to see councils achieving cost savings by eliminating the need to rekey sites and leveraging intelligent automation—saving valuable time, including up to 4-5 days of cardholder administration each year. Innovation like this not only enhances operational efficiency but also allows councils to focus on delivering better outcomes for their communities. We are proud to welcome Gallagher Security to Smart Cities Council, and look forward to working together to drive smart, secure, and scalable solutions for our cities, regions and towns. #SmartCities #LocalGovernment #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #Security #PublicSafety

We are very proud to announce the official launch of Smart Access Navigation, for all people including those who use screen readers. We have added exciting new live navigation features, a preview for all steps of the journey, and a teaser of our new AI vision to help blind and low vision avoid barriers ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD! See video below. If anyone downloads the Smart Access Navigation app before January 20th, they'll get access our navigation service FREE for six months. Limited time offer! We have navigation in 12 cities across Australia and NZ. If you would like navigation added near you (anywhere in the world), you can order it on the website to have it added in 2 weeks or email us at support@smartaccess.enterprises and we'll put it on the list of places to add when we can. #accessibility #disability #smartcities https://lnkd.in/gY6mBzRn

The Australian Government has announced funding for 64 community infrastructure projects under the Thriving Suburbs Program, totalling more than $300 million. Take a look at the projects in Queensland Government, Government of New South Wales (NSW Government), Victoria State Government (Victorian Government), Government of South Australia, Northern Territory Government, Government of Western Australia cities. https://lnkd.in/gMNJ6wBm About the Thriving Suburbs Program: The program has been funded to deliver one round of funding of between $500,000 and $15 million to local government entities and incorporated not-for-profit organisations for capital works projects that enhance liveability, strengthen social cohesion and support local amenities in urban, suburban and peri-urban communities across Australia's Greater Capital City Statistical Areas.

Years ago, I founded Coastalwatch and led the deployment of AI-powered cameras across Australian beaches. At the time, there were significant community concerns about privacy and camera technology. But the goal was clear: save lives by providing real-time monitoring and safety systems. It wasn’t just about deploying cutting-edge technology—it was about doing it responsibly. We worked to manage risks, address privacy concerns, and gain community trust, proving that innovation and accountability can go hand-in-hand. Fast forward to today, and the discussions around facial recognition in retail environments, like Bunnings’, remind us how important it is to balance safety and privacy. As Australians, we all value systems that keep our environments secure—but how we deploy these systems matters just as much as why we deploy them. Transparency and consent are essential, but businesses must go further:  ✅ Evaluate fairness—ensuring data use is necessary and proportional to its purpose  ✅ Implement reliable systems to safeguard compliance and accountability  ✅ Foster trust by embedding privacy into every stage of adoption At SmartAIConnect, we help businesses lead responsibly. Our latest guide, “Lessons from the Privacy Commissioner: Building Trust in Facial Recognition,” provides practical insights for: ✅ Building trust through actionable transparency  ✅ Simplifying compliance without slowing innovation  ✅ Managing risks proactively with an integrated GRC approach 📌 What’s inside? How businesses can turn compliance into a competitive advantage by aligning with community and regulatory expectations. Check out the PDF carousel below to see how SmartAIConnect can help your organisation navigate this complex landscape. 💬 Are businesses ready to meet this new standard for responsible technology deployment? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Tagging leaders driving these discussions: Kelvin Ross Peter Leonard Nicole Stephensen Carly Kind Brett Szmajda Stela SOLAR PS: I’ll be diving deeper into this on the podcast today—stay tuned! Daniel Talbot Clarence Tan Fulvio Inserra Jason Atkins Kane Templeton Christine Lane Mark Pedersen Andrew Hammond KJR Robyn Francis Smart Cities Council

Another great strategic partnership in the making with Smart Cities Council, Smart Cities Council - Middle East and Miami-Dubai Chamber of Commerce, building networks and opportunities globally for trade and investment for SCC members and partners everywhere. #kudos