Smart Infrastructure and Smart Cities Industry in Australia

Australia - Smart Infrastructure - Smart Cities

Social and economic pressure on cities to become smarter Smart Cities Smart cities are going to be amazing community hubs which will be more sustainable, efficient and supportive of citizens. The concept of smart communities is based on intelligent infrastructure such as broadband (FttH) and smart grids, so that connected and sustainable communities can be developed. State-of-the-art telecommunications are also vital to a city's economic health and well-being. Around the world there are already examples of some smart cities emerging and many countries have developed plans for smart infrastructure. However, before these smart communities can be built properly, trans-sector policies and strategies need to be carefully considered and developed. Smart cities can’t be built from the current silo structure that dominates our thinking; but require a holistic approach which includes environmental issues such as self sufficient energy buildings, energy exchanges for renewable energy and e-cars, delivery of e-health, e-education, e-government services as well as digital media and internet services. Half of the world’s population are already city-dwellers, and the trend towards increased urbanization is accelerating rapidly. The future of the majority of the world’s citizens is undeniably urban – 70% will live in cities by 2050 - but how exactly that city of tomorrow will look, and how smart living is implemented and experienced remains largely uncertain. Smart Energy For numerous reasons the electricity industry is one of the last industries to undergo a major transformation in order to enter the digital economy. An emphasis on keeping electricity prices as low as possible led to severe under-investment in the grid to cope with issues such as energy efficiency, the integration of renewable energy sources and consumer tools aimed at managing home energy use more efficiently. This began to change with a...