The Mayor of Panama has declared his pride that the capital of Panama is Latin America's first 'smart city'. The global movement towards smart cities has been described as a phenomenon and South America has been slower than other continents in terms of embracing such a transformation. Cities all over the world are evolving as leaders attempt to shape a city that ultimately improves the lives of its residents.

In a press conference held in the Ministry of Telecommunications, Mohamed Choucair, Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications, launched the third edition of the Smartex exhibition specialized in the Knowledge and ICT sector, along with Nabil Itani, Director General of the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL); Imad Kreidieh, CEO of Ogero; and Elie Rizk, President of the Lebanese Exhibitions & Conferences Associations (LECA). In the conference was also present Naji Andraos, General director of installation and equipment at the Ministry of Telecommunications; Naji Abboud, Head of Owner Supervisory Board; the Minister’s consultant Nabil Yamout; Camille Moukarzel, President of the Professional Computer Association of Lebanon; and a crowd of heads and members of trade unions and companies involved in the exhibition.

It seems like cities' continued growth and success are one of the great triumphs of modern civilization, with the future of design becoming virtual and driven by data.

New Zealand telecommunications firm Spark has formally announced that it is set to expand its rollout of Internet of Things in the country. In a statement issued to the press, Spark confirmed that its long-range, low-power network will be deployed for commercial use in 60% of the places where New Zealand residents live, work and play.

Norway has been selected as the location for the construction of the largest data center in the world. US-Norwegian company KOLOS has formally announced its intentions to build the state-of-the-art facility inside the Arctic Circle in the town of Ballangen.

Panasonic Corporation and Toyota Motors Corporation have joined forces to combine their expertise in the home appliance and mobility sectors along with IoT to create smarter homes and lifestyles for their customers.

The Philippines will get its first ever subway system as part of a massive investment to overhaul and modernize the country's infrastructure. Controversial President Rodrigo Duterte has announced the initial details of its $100bn three-year development which he has claimed will kick off a 'golden-age of infrastructure'. The subway system set to be erected will be the most expensive of all the planned infrastructure projects estimated at a cost of 227bn pesos.

A report conducted by London's lawmakers has claimed that the city is currently not equipped to facilitate the forthcoming self-driving revolution.

Samsung’s global IT solution and service provider plans to collaborate with the smart city data firm, Telensa, on a street lighting project and its Urban Data Project.

San Antonio has founded the “R&D League” in partnership with Southwest Research Institute, the United Services Automobile Association and the University of Texas to help residents via technology.

Italian operator Telecom Italia has announced that the Republic of San Marino will become the first country in Europe to have a 5G mobile network. Telecom Italia made the prediction following the disclosure of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with government officials from San Marino.

Smart water meters produce an enormous amount of data so meter data management (MDM) systems are essential when it comes to converting the data into insights that will prove useful and be actionable.

A report conducted by Phillips Lighting has named Singapore, London and Barcelona as the world’s best smart cities. The comprehensive study examined the drivers and hurdles presented by local authorities that are considering implementing smart city programs into their respective cities.

South Korean telecommunications incumbent SK Telecom has been awarded a lucrative contract to build 5G infrastructure in an effort to support planned intelligent transportation system in Seoul.

Nee research into the global phenomenon of the Internet of Things (IoT) has claimed that revenue from the emerging technologies in the smart city sector will increase its total revenue from $25bn in 2017 to a whopping $62bn in 2026.

Nokia has been selected by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to support the transformation of India's cities through intelligent infrastructure. Nokia will supply, install, commission and maintain the Smart Telecom Poles across India in all of BSNL's telecom circles.

The smartest cities in the US have been formally announced following weeks of public voting in a survey conducted by IDC Government Insights. Over 3,000 votes were cast in the inaugural IDC Smart Cities North America. (SCNAA)

South American cities are seeking investment capital for $9.5 billion in order to help them develop and construct 'smart water' infrastructure projects across the continent.

South Korean President, Moon Jae-in has said that he plans to export their smart cities after the construction of their two test-bed cities.

A Swiss multinational technology and smart grid solutions company has landed a lucrative contract for a 'smart metering' infrastructure project in India. Landis+Gyr, is recognized as being a visionary in smart grid solutions and is a global industry leader in metering solutions for electricity, gas water and energy.