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The European Union has said it needs 30 million or more zero-emission cars on its roads by 2030 as part of efforts to cut emissions by at least 55% this decade versus 1990 levels.

Asfinag, Austria’s public roads operator, has formed a partnership with Siemens Mobility to provide an intelligent traffic management system in an effort to make the roads safer. 

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced the deployment of AI-powered smart traffic management systems in an effort to encourage a greater uptake in greener modes of transport.

In an effort to further the use of electric car usage as a mode of transport, two eco-companies in the UK have joined forces to deliver high-powered electric vehicle charging forecourts.

The UK has officially launched its first commercial testing lab for driverless cars which will leverage 5G and satellite technologies.

TomTom, the location technology specialist has announced that it will launch a tool for automated vehicles which would essentially let drivers know when it is safe enough to activate automated driving functions.

The Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (Hitrans) has announced that it has selected Fleetondemand’s mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platform, Mobilleo, to pilot its rural mobility project in Scotland.

In the Italian cities of Turin, Milan, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo and Portofino, micro-mobility services have been expanded due to Helbiz’s new announcement on rolling out electric mopeds.

Helsinki has begun trialing an electric ferry service across the Reposalmi strait which is set to take place from Tuesday to Sunday until 23 August.

Autonomous and connected cars have already been trialed on the streets of many countries over the past half-decade. Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) have made way for the surge in the trialing and adoption of autonomous vehicles. It has been forecasted that by 2021, over 380 million connected cars will take to the streets. In fact, after the smartphone and the tablet, the connected car has been deemed as one of the most rapid-growing technological device.

An agreement between Toyota Motor Europe, Sensible 4, Holo and Ruter has been announced to pave the way for new autonomous mobility deployments to be potentially integrated into Norway’s public transport network.

A regional transport authority in Germany, Landesanstalt Schienenfahrzeuge Baden-Württemberg (SFBW), has coordinated with Siemens Mobility and purchased 20 battery-powered trains to deploy in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.

Pirelli is the first tyre company in the world to transmit information detected by intelligent tyres regarding the road surface via the 5G network. In Turin today, the company presented the “World-first 5G enhanced ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) services” use case.

ZTE, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, has developed the new smart adapter CarConnect in cooperation with Deutsche Telekom. The device now appears in a completely revised version. In addition to faster access to mobile Internet, drivers are offered new functionalities and more security.

UK public transport provider, National Express, has decided to make their IT system cloud-based with IBM Cloud.

Telefonica Germany has said that it is currently in talks with Mercedes-Benz for a 5G mobile network which will be used to produce vehicles at the automaker’s Factory 56 plant in Sindelfingen, Germany.

On Wednesday, Airbus and Paris underground operator RATP announced that they will carry out a study to determine the feasibility of adding flying vehicles to Paris’ transport network.

A highway in Germany installed overhead cables to power hybrid cars, in an effort to electrify truck transportation and cut emissions.

The European Commission has shocked many technology experts by supporting a Wi-Fi based standard for cars that is being pursued by automotive behemoth Volkswagen.

German automotive industry giants BMW and Mercedes-Benz manufacturer Daimler have agreed to work together to further enhance their development and implementation of self-driving technology and the creation of electric cars.

German automotive company Continental is to exhibit their Continental Urban Mobility Experience (CUbE) driverless vehicle at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas this week, and introduce their long term plan for developing smart city transportation infrastructure.

Volkswagen is to test a series of mobile charging stations throughout the German city of Wolfsburg, which will charge electric cars and e-bikes in around 17 minutes.

Huawei officially released the Mobile Automation Engine (MAE) solution during its first wireless automation roundtable which was held during the 2018 GMBBF. The solution aims to accelerate full-scenario autonomous driving in mobile networks.

The University of Warwick is set to host Europe’s first multi-million-pound Smart City Mobility Centre; a new facility for driverless capable vehicles that will plan for “transport systems of the future”.

At the ninth Global Mobile Broadband Forum, Huawei released a white paper titled “Key Scenarios of Autonomous Driving Mobile Network”. This white paper identifies seven key autonomous-driving scenarios and analyzes five key automation capabilities required in mobile networks, inspiring the way to autonomous driving networks.

Einride, Ericsson and Telia are putting 5G into motion at a DB Schenker facility in Jönköping, Sweden. The goal is to power an all-electric, autonomous transport ecosystem that takes fleet management to the next level.

US ride-hailing company Uber announced the launch of electric bikes in Paris in early 2019. The rugged red bikes from Jump, have three speeds and can travel at speeds of up to 25 km/h. The self-service bikes will be available for free floating via Uber app, said a spokeswoman. A U-shaped padlock will secure them to street furniture.

An innovative program dubbed "FlexMob'île" launched by Groupe Renault, Morbihan Energie, Les Cars Bleus and Enedis was announced recently as part of an initiative aiming at establishing a smart electric ecosystem on the French island of Belle-Île-en-Mer. Residents and visitors of the island will be able to drive electric cars powered by a network of charging stations. Furthermore, energy will be produced by solar panels installed on the roofs of buildings.

British luxury carmakerAston Martin has officially announced that its second major UK manufacturing facility will become the brand's centre for electrification - and the production home of the Lagonda brand, the world's first zero-emission luxury marque.

With its new 360c autonomous concept, Volvo Cars tackles one of the main challenges around the introduction of autonomous technology and calls for a new, global standard in how autonomous vehicles can safely communicate with all other road users.

The Finnish capital of Helsinki has been named as the city best equipped for the integration of mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) platforms.

Jaguar Land Rover has fitted 'virtual eyes' to intelligent pods to understand how humans will trust self-driving vehicles, as research studies suggest that as many as 63% of pedestrians worry about how safe it will be to cross the road in the future

UK rail firms are embracing technology and entering new partnerships in an effort to overhaul and transform its current travel systems. The rail industry in the UK has announced that it will publish more real-time information in a bid to facilitate technology firms aiming to develop intelligent travel apps for the future.

Millbrook Proving Ground has started working on deploying advanced 5G network as part of the AutoAir project which groups 5G testbed partners led by Airspan Networks. As reported by Millbrook, this is the "UK's first transport 5G network" and it will help building the future of testing and validation of connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technologies.

The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance - which drives and guides the development of all future mobile broadband technology with a focus on 5G - published its V2X (cellular vehicle to everything) white paper containing the findings of two years of work by a task force of best in class industry specialists from across the world.

Connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV) are coming and there's no turning back. In a report published by Siemens, the company urges cities to preplan for the arrival of CAV, and to tackle issues in the wider context of mobility transformation.

Huawei has gained a strong partner for the development of intelligent connected vehicles signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a strategic cooperation with Audi, the German automobile manufacturer. The agreement forms part of a broad-based partnership between the companies in the two countries initiated by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Groupe PSA, the second largest car manufacturer in Europe has announced a joint venture with Nidec, the leading comprehensive motor manufacturer, to create “Nidec-PSA emotors”. Carlos Tavares, Chief Executive Officer of Groupe PSA and MM Shigenobu Nagamori, Chief Executive Officer of Nidec, endorsed today the establishment of the new project dedicated to the design, development, manufacture and sale of electric traction motors.

Some of the world's largest car manufacturers are joining together in an effort to develop a joint network of rapid electric-vehicle charging stations across Europe. The automakers have opted to reject the idea of installing their own charging stations in favor of a collaborative approach.

Audi aims to sell approximately 800,000 fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids in the year 2025. At last week's Annual General Meeting of AUDI AG, the Board of Management presented the updated "Audi.Vorsprung.2025." strategy.

Europe's largest port has announced that it is firmly on course to have autonomous ships operating in its shipyard by 2030. The Port of Rotterdam has projected that by 2030 it will have autonomous vessels interacting almost seamlessly with those operated by people.

The BMW Group has celebrated the official opening of its autonomous driving campus in Unterschleißheim.

German car manufacturing colossuses BMW and Daimler AG have formally announced that they will merge their expertise and know-how to partner on the development of urban mobility services.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced that it is currently demonstrating self-driving technology that will enable its fleet of vehicles to locate vacant parking spaces independently and then proceed to park them without any input from the driver.

Slovakian aviation firm AeroMobil has unveiled its futuristic electric flying car concept which is set to go into production in 2020. At a press briefing, the company introduced its AeroMobil 5.0 VTOL which has been specifically designed for intra-city travel in an effort to alleviate the chronic traffic issues posed by urban congestion.

French automotive colossus PSA Group has formally announced the introduction of its Emov all-electric car-sharing service to a second European city. The rollout of the fleet will begin in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon next month.

For the first time in Europe, Chinese ICT solutions provider Huawei, Vodafone Germany, and automotive engineering firm Bosch have successfully tested the extended usage of Cellular vehicle to everything (C-V2X R14) in combination with Bosch's Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) driver assistance system using pre-standard 5G.

Audi, Italdesign and Airbus have combined their expertise to present "Pop.Up Next", which is an entirely electric, fully automatic concept for horizontal and vertical mobility.

French car manufacturer Renault has unveiled its vision for the future with the introduction of its prototype for a ride-hailing taxi. The French firm showcased the self-driving vehicle entitled EZ-GO at the Geneva Motor Show.

Dutch multinational technology firm Yandex has announced that it has successfully conducted a test of a self-driving car in the Russian capital of Moscow. The company is Russia's largest technology firm and is commonly known as Russia's Google as it's also the country's main search engine with around 65% of market share.

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

German car manufacturing colossus BMW has accelerated its efforts to develop autonomous driving technologies by announcing that it plans to construct a test track for self-driving cars in the Czech Republic. The estimated cost of the track is rumored to be around €100m.

Swedish car manufacturing colossus Volvo has embarked on an innovative project centered on helping the automotive firm accelerate its plan to develop and deploy autonomous vehicles. Volvo has announced that it is launching its 'Drive Me' campaign, which focuses on the participation of Swedish families.

The beautiful French city of Montpellier in the South of France has announced that it has deployed a 'smart parking' solution that aims to address growing concerns raised over the city's pollution level which is being caused by traffic congestion.

Three multinational conglomerates have agreed to collaborate in an ambitious attempt to develop electric aircraft. Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Siemens have announced that the partnership has been created in an effort to accelerate the development and subsequent deployment of hybrid-electric propulsion for commercial aircraft.

Cardiff has announced that it will introduce a new 'smart parking' system, as part of local officials overall strategic approach to address urban congestion in the Welsh capital. The new technology will assist and aid drivers to find available car parking spaces in the city.

Iceland has been forced to deploy new 'fast charging' infrastructure across its capital Reykjavik, following the rapid increase and adoption of electric vehicles in the country. Iceland's government has been aggressively pursuing the electrification in its transport sector, and Icelandic motorists are acutely aware of the benefits of moving away from fossil-fuel powered cars towards clean electric vehicles.

Portugal is set to introduce 'free zones' in an attempt to accelerate the development and deployment of self-driving cars and drones in the country. The 'free zones' will also have special regulations which will subsequently allow firms developing driverless technology to test the vehicles in a much more stringent way.

The French city of Nantes has announced that it has invested in revolutionary charging technology for its fleet of electric buses which will be deployed in the forthcoming months. The innovative new public transportation service will be operated by the city's public transport operator.

London has reiterated its effort to reduce the harmful levels of pollution in the city by deploying the first ever electric taxis in the city. However, in an effort to maintain the traditional features of the city, the environmentally-friendly taxis will be the iconic 'black cabs'.

Some of the world's biggest cities have pledged their commitment to protect the environment and rid their cities of harmful fossil fuels by agreeing to deploy zero emissions buses from 2025. Twelve major cities will introduce the environmentally-friendly vehicles to its transportation systems from 2025, in a bid to make major areas of their cities 'fossil fuel free' by 2030.

German car manufacturing colossus Volkswagen has announced that it will invest €20 billion in the development of electric vehicles in an effort to compete with US electric incumbent Tesla. The revelation ends months of speculation in relation to Volkswagen and its strategy towards ‘mass electrification'.

French car manufacturing colossus PSA Group which was formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroen before rebranding last year, has vowed it will support Opel's plans to produce electric cars but only if it proves 'profitable'.

From 2020 all new Jaguar Land Rover vehicles will be electrified. The company made the announcement at its inaugural Tech Fest, a series of debates and a free public exhibition about the future of mobility.

The UK government has announced that it will begin testing self-driving trucks on public roads in Britain next year. Tests of self-driving trucks in Europe have been ongoing for the last two years, and now the Tory-DUP led coalition government have agreed to introduce the revolutionary technology that looks set to transform the transportation industry.

Finland is set to introduce a scheduled driverless bus service to its capital city Helsinki following the conclusion of a series of trials which were conducted by local transportation authorities. A statement released by city transportation officials confirmed that autonomous transit will begin operations in autumn.

The development and production of autonomous cars continues to dominate the automotive sector as car manufacturers and technology firms combine resources in a bid to accelerate the deployment of self-driving technology. Now, the development of 'driverless' cars has entered the unlikely sphere of motorsport following the announcement by the FIA.

An innovative project which would see 'flying river taxis' being deployed in Paris have encountered problems primarily due to strict regulatory hurdles in France.

A leading UK automotive manufacturing company has partnered with a technology firm in an effort to improve vehicle safety in self-driving cars. Delphi Automotive PLC, which specializes in automotive parts - has announced that it has made a minority investment in Israeli-based laser-based sensor firm Innoviz Technologies.

The European Commission has found Czech plans to support the creation of a network of refueling and recharging stations for low emission vehicles to be in line with EU state aid rules. The measure contributes to reducing CO2 emissions without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market.

T-Mobile Austria, a Deutsche Telekom company, has selected Huawei's OTN solution for its planned metro WDM and backbone WDM. The projects are intended to build a next-generation large-capacity WDM transport network with leading performance to support the growth of network traffic and services of T-Mobile Austria over the next five years.

A leading-German car manufacturer has announced that it has invested €25m into a firm that specializes in producing 'flying taxis'. Daimler AG is one of a number of organizations who has decided to invest in German start-up company Volocopter.

The UK government has announced that it will prohibit the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles in the UK from 2040. Michael Gove, the government's Environment Secretary confirmed that its part of an overall strategy to see these vehicles completely phased out by 2050.

German electronics and engineering conglomerate Bosch has announced that it will construct a €1.1 billion semiconductor plant. The facility will focus solely on producing and developing components for self-driving cars. The announcement represents the biggest single investment in the fabled history of Bosch.

A European self-driving company has entered into a partnership agreement with an Israeli security firm in a bid to accelerate their attempts to develop autonomous vehicles. Vedocom Tech and Israel's Karamba Security announced their collaboration by releasing a joint-statement. Both organizations expressed its confidence in the new partnership, which they hope can propel them into developing autonomous cars that will be deployed across major European cities in the next year.

Finnish telecommunications powerhouse Nokia has expressed his frustrations with its connected car project in Europe. The head of Nokia's V2X program, Uwe Puetzschler, has warned that Europe 'is not as happy as it should be' and derided the poor quality of networks available to them in their bid to advance the connected car sector.

A German car manufacturer is set to expand their collaboration agreement with a robot maker in a bid to examine and explore ways in which robots can help drivers of electric and autonomous vehicles.

German car manufacturer Daimler has announced that it plans to invest $735m in electric vehicle production in China. In a statement issued to the press, Daimler announced that alongside its Chinese joint venture partner BAIC Motor Corporation will jointly invest 5 billion yuan ($735M) in the pursuit of battery electric vehicle production in China by 2020. In addition to this, it further disclosed its commitment to provide the infrastructure that is required.

Swedish car manufacturing colossus Volvo has announced that all new models launched from 2019 will be fully electric or hybrid vehicles - which signals the end of nearly a century of Volvo cars being powered solely by the internal combustion engine.

BMW has revealed that it is considering manufacturing its new electric Mini vehicle outside of the UK due to the uncertainty following the country's decision to exit the EU. A source close to the car manufacturing giant claims that BMW executives will make a decision on the location for the manufacturing of its new electric model by the end of September.

A leading German manufacturing company has publicly announced it will join a self-driving platform which has been developed by BMW, Intel and Mobileye. Continental AG, commonly known as Continental is the world's second-biggest supplier to carmakers by sales.

Finland is set to significantly reduce urban congestion and harmful emissions by launching a new electrically powered autonomous bus service in its capital city Helsinki. Authorities in Helsinki have formally disclosed plans in relation to the new public transportation system that will revolutionize the city.

Ford Motor Co has announced its plans to open a 'smart mobility' facility in the UK. The US automotive colossus will extend its services by opening a new office in London - and plans to start a workforce of forty people. The 'smart mobility' facility will be located on Here East campus which is co-working business incubator, set up in part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The European Commission has announced a series of new initiatives which has been specifically designed to modernize the European transport system. The program which has been entitled 'Europe on the Move' - aims to make traffic safer, encourage more equal road charging across member states, reduce harmful CO² emissions, air pollution and urban congestion - which is continuing to be a growing problem for many major cities across Europe due to increased urbanization.

Telefónica announced its active participation in the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA). The company joins a group of other leading telecommunications and automotive companies with the objective of accelerating the penetration of mobility services such as connected and autonomous car and intelligent road infrastructures.

World-renowned German car manufacturing firm Porsche has announced that it will open a new digital technology center in Silicon Valley that will lead to the creation of over 100 jobs. In a statement issued to announce the inception of the new facility - Porsche outlined that the fundamental purpose of the new 'innovation hub' will be to forge new partnerships, cooperate with venture-capital companies and invest in new companies.

The Dutch city of Eindhoven will become the first in the world to implement self-driving cars for large-scale commercial use. The official announcement was made by Steve Neleman, CEO of Amber Mobility at a trade event in Hannover, Germany.

Europe is now beginning to embrace electro-mobility - but one Nordic nation which adopted that stance years ago - and serves as a shining example to other nations as Europe's surge towards mass electric vehicle deployments builds momentum. Norway has been leading the charge and announced its intentions to phase out all fossil fuel-powered vehicles by 2025! However, Norway's modern approach towards electric vehicles isn't an initiative which was launched in the millennial era - no, in fact it started in the early 1990s!

US-based global ride hailing service Uber has suffered a fresh setback following a decision by a UK court to uphold recommendations made by a regulatory body that drivers needed to prove their ability to communicate in English.

Germany and France have released details of a project which proposes to test self-driving vehicles on a stretch of road that links both countries.

The announcement was made by the Transport Ministry in Berlin in which he outlined the specific aim of the initiative which will test ‘automated and connected driving in real cross-border traffic'. The route selected is 70km (43miles) in length from Merzig in Germany's western Saarland state to Metz in eastern France.

A leading German car manufacturer has publicly announced that it has reached an agreement with global ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. to supply the US firm with self-driving vehicles. The collaboration between Daimler and Uber is a statement of intent as they both attempt to establish themselves as leading players in burgeoning industry of autonomous driving, which has been identified as the future of the auto sector.

India's largest software services company has unveiled a smart city solution aimed at optimizing Belfort's (France) urban bus transportation.

Paris has initiated its first steps towards what it describes as a 'revolution' for the city as it embraces the dawn of autonomous vehicles. The French capital is one of the most famous cities in the entire world - and city officials have this week began experimenting with driverless buses.

CES 2017: Fiat-Chrysler unveiled a new concept car which is aimed at what it describes as the ‘emerging generation’ at the CES Event in Las Vegas. The electric-powered mini-van has been built with modular components in order to enable the vehicle to be adapted for autonomous driving.

As part of the country’s cybersecurity tightening, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) has fined DiDi Global Inc $1.2 billion, ending a probe that saw the ride-hailing leader being delisted from the New York Stock Exchange since its IPO in June last year.

The digital economy’s share in China's GDP rose from 21.6% to 39.8% between 2012 and 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology data states, as per state media resources.

A joint venture between Etisalat and Noor Bank, Digital Financial Services LLC, has partnered with MoneyGram, a global leader in cross-border P2P payments and money transfers, to offer international remittance services in the UAE.

Singapore and the city of Shenzhen have signed eight memoranda of understandings (MoU) pertaining to ensuring greater access to market opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Southeast Asia (SEA).

The government of Japan has started to draw up its 6G strategy and to set up a panel which will be dedicated to the technology.

The rise of emerging information-related technology and its ubiquity pose a very serious concern: how much privacy do we really have? There have been growing concerns about the pace at which governments and regulators are modernizing their legal systems and how they simply do not change fast enough to keep up with new inventions and innovations of the hyper-digital world we live in today.

Melbourne is mapping all its trees, vegetation and shrubs within the city in an effort to better understand where its trees are growing and which areas need more attention.

On Tuesday, the pioneering cryptocurrency platform announced that Enjin’s ENJ Coin has been addedto their Wallet & Card App alongside bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Binance Coin (BNB) and XRP.

China is leading the global race in the development of smart cities with the world’s second-largest economy now having over 500 smart city projects either ready or under construction.

The Administration Committee of Hengqin New District and PCCW Global have signed a collaboration agreement to capture opportunities brought by the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the Greater Bay Area development, and to accelerate the cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao in the fields of telecommunications and technological innovation.

The Smart Cities Council and Green Building Council of Australia have released a new standard of practice to address issues like enhanced telecommunications connectivity, data insights, digital planning practices and innovation districts.

A number of China's leading technology firms have partnered on a pioneering new smart city initiative that has been created to ensure the smooth integration of emerging technologies designed to transform major cities.

The top 10 cities for blockchain in the world were revealed according to a ranking by Boyd Cohen, co-founder of IoMob and the Blockchain Cities Alliance and dean of research at EADA Business School in Barcelona.

Huawei held a conference on its newly launched HCNA-AI in Beijing where it announced that the Huawei's AI engineering certification is the first step for the Chinese multinational to build an artificial intelligence talent certification system. With the theme "Never stop learning, create the future with AI", Huawei welcomed more than 100 educators, academic experts, Huawei training partners, university professors, students and AI technology enthusiasts. This new certification designed for tech professionals aims to promote the artificial intelligence technology and industry through talent development, and it will ultimately facilitate technological progress of enterprises looking to make an impact in the digital economy.

Singapore, London and Seoul have been named the world’s smartest cities following a new report compiled by the Eden Strategy Institute. The comprehensive study which was conducted in partnership with ONG&ONG Experience Design (OXD) involved 140 smart cities.

Using information technology to improve the quality of living is a common strategy of many countries in recent years. Take traffic congestion that many cities are facing as an example, Moscow was once named the most congested city out of the 400 cities surveyed by TomTom, a Dutch smart mobility service provider. How did Moscow tackle the problem through technology?

Opinion feature by Dr. Winnie Tang, Honorary Professor, Department of Computer Science, University of Hong Kong:

Acquiring foreign talent is proved to be a shortcut to promote social and economic development of a place. The United States being well known as the melting pot of various nationalities is a typical example in this respect.

The Philippines Government has officially announced its detailed plans to construct a new $14bn 'pollution-free' super city - that would be bigger than Manhattan in an effort to address the chronic air pollution and traffic problems in its capital city of Manila.

A comprehensive report conducted by the IDC has projected that smart city expenditure is set to reach $28.3bn in 2018. The report analyzed the estimated spending on technologies that is set to be integrated in order to facilitate smart city programs in the Asia Pacific.

Dr. Winnie Tang JP is an Honorary Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Hong Kong. She is one of the locally-bred IT entrepreneurs of Hong Kong and the Honorary President of Smart City Consortium. Over the years, she has been actively advocating the use of technology and sharing her views regarding the ICT industry, eHealth, environmental conservation, entrepreneurship and smart city concepts through her services in government and non-government organizations in Hong Kong.

Hong-Kong professor Dr. Winnie Tang has launched her highly-acclaimed Smart City 3.0 e-book which attempts to examine and establish the role played by Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Robotics and the sharing economy in the development and future evolution of smart cities on a global basis.

The detailed insight into the future of smart cities which has been compiled by Dr. Tang has drawn critical acclaim from smart city industry peers.

Anthony Yeh, Chair professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, The University of Hong Kong said, "I believe that this book is a must-read for anyone who is passionate about how smart cities can enhance quality of life and foster sustainable growth."

In her book, Dr. Tang highlighted some of the key emerging trends and predictions that are set to reshape our future cities. By 2020, the world's population aged over 60 years and older will outnumber children under the age of 5. According to the Hong Kong based professor a ‘tsunami of the ageing problem is fast approaching.'

In addition to this, we're also facing a huge issue in relation to increased urbanization. By 2030, it has been projected that urban areas will house 60% of people globally. This will inevitably put governments under enormous pressure. In the book, Dr. Tang outlines what she believes can be implemented in order to curb some of these trends and reduce the negative impact of them.

The Smart City 3.0 e-book stresses that whilst the opportunities represented by AI, Internet of Things and Robotics are incredibly exciting technologies destined to transform the way we live and how societies interact with each other, it's important to factor in the potential harm the mass adoption of these technologies will have. It has been estimated that half of the current livelihoods will disappear from working-class to professional.

There are many challenges and obstacles facing smart cities but with the correct strategic implementation of programs, projects and technologies, there's no doubting the fact that they can improve the lives of all living in the city.

President and Founder of Esri, Jack Dangermond praised Dr. Tang's work and said the core value of the e-book was trying to strike a balance between smart city development and conservation.

He said, "This is the essence of a smart city, which is to strike a balance between conservation and development, improving our quality of life without undermining our future with the help of information technologies and data driven decisions. This is also the core value of Winnie's book Smart City 3.0."

According to Dr. Tang, a smart city is defined by six key characteristics or attributes and they are smart people, smart economy, smart environment, smart government, smart living and smart mobility. In what is a compelling, in-depth and fascinating insight into the past, present and future of smart cities, Dr. Tang is able to clearly identify how cities have gone from digital cities, to intelligent cities to smart cities.

She claims that with further advancement in ICT and the Internet of Things, smart cities will become smarter. This will also subsequently make individuals, governments, firms and the environment smarter in the process. It will bring convenience and a much, much better quality life to those who reside in urban areas. According to Professor Tang there is no city in the world that can no longer afford to be not smart. She highlights that whilst governments and the private sector are trying to make cities smarter for different purposes, it's evident we're entering a new era of smart cities.

This Smart City 3.0 e-book compiled by Dr. Tang is an incredible insight into how smart cities have evolved and how they will continue to evolve due to advancements in technologies such as AI and Internet of Things, whilst the emergence of 5G will also have a revolutionary impact on smart cities all across the world, because a smart city can't be smart without connectivity.

The book is available to download now online. So don't miss out on the opportunity to examine and explore what the incredible and visionary future of our smart cities will look like.

Hong Kong has released its smart city blueprint following months of consultations and recommendations as part of its efforts to become a world-class smart city. It has been announced that a dedicated Smart City Office will be established in the Innovation and Technology Bureau which will oversee, manage and coordinate the progress and effectiveness of smart city projects initiated by the department in Hong Kong.

A British multinational engineering company has outlined its vision for Singapore, vowing to create a new form of 'urbanism', that once successfully implemented can be replicated in other cities around the world.

Filipinos can now avail of affordable financial products and services such as mobile banking, remittance, insurance, loans and credit as the use of technology and innovation continues to grow in the Philippines, according to Mynt, the financial Technology (FinTech) arm of Philippines telecom provider Globe Telecom.

Digital Catapult which is a leading UK digital innovation firm has issued an open call for prospective partners to help it extend its Internet of Things network across the United Kingdom. The firm which specializes in accelerating the application of digital technologies - has expressed its ambition to enhance the capabilities of the services it currently provides.

The French government has announced that it will invest around 1.5 billion dollars in order to help accelerate the development of a number of projects that are set to commence in India as part of the country's ambitious 'Smart Cities Mission' program.

An Australian business delegation has announced its interest in investing and exploring potential opportunities that may arise from India's nationwide 'smart cities' program. The business consortium is made up of 35 members - and they flew in India this week to meet with those tasked with the responsibility of leading the smart cities initiative.

116 founders of robotics and artificial intelligence firms, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, are urging the United Nations to outlaw use of autonomous weapons. An open letter to the UN includes signatories from North America to Asia, Africa and Europe, including Mustafa Suleyman, and AI specialist at Google.

China, according to state media, has launched a digital "cyber-court" in an effort to deal with rising internet-related crimes. The first case – a copyright dispute between an online writer and a web company – was heard on August 18, at the new Hangzhou Internet Court.

Government representatives at both a national and local level are collaborating with entrepreneurs and the University of Adelaide as part of a collective effort to transform Adelaide into a 'smart city'. The initiative is part of an overall program launched by the new Australian Smart Cities Consortium.

India's innovative bid to establish 100 'smart cities' in an effort to support the country's rapid growing urban population may well have a detrimental impact on the environment. A major study conducted by the University of Lincoln in the UK has stated that city planners needed to place a greater emphasis on supporting infrastructure and utilities if they want to avoid the likely prospect of harming the environment.

Chinese government officials have tabled legislation focused on 'energy efficiency' which has been specifically formulated in an effort to reduce Beijing's consumption of coal. The document which was drafted by members of the Beijing Municipal Government, firmly feel the legislation proposed will cut the capital's coal consumption to below 5 million tons by 2020.

The world's leading car manufacturers have come together to issue an appeal to China to delay or soften its planned policy in relation to the sales of its electric and hybrid vehicles. The proposals brought forward by China's Ministry of Industry and IT has been viewed as 'impossible to meet' by global automakers, and added that the introduction of the policy would severely disrupt the automotive sector.

A team of smart city experts have issued a stark warning to many Asian countries currently embarking on a mission to make its cities 'smart'. They have warned that many are at risk of creating 'stupid cities' because of its current approach - which is to work in 'isolation' and resist technological innovation.

CommunicAsia 2017: Minister for Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim has claimed that 'Digitalization' will power Singapore into its next phase of growth. Dr Ibrahim was delivering his keynote address at the Infocomm Media Business Exchange opening ceremony at CommunicAsia which was held in The Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre in Singapore.

Thailand has announced its ambitious aim of introducing broadband access to every village in the country by 2018. The Thailand government has recognized the power of the digital economy in terms of creating innovation - which can significantly reduce the gap between rich and poor in the region. It has declared its long-term commitment to embracing technology and will attempt to bring connectivity to even the most remote parts of Thailand.

Singapore has announced that it will invest over $100m in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) in an effort to get its Smart Nation vision back on track. Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong publicly voiced his concerns over the project a number of months ago - and conceded that the Smart Nation initiative was moving much slower than initially expected. Prime Minister Loong claimed that the private sector really needed to do more in order to kick-start and propel the initiative forward.

Recommendations compiled by officials in the Indian government reveal the administration's plans to 'electrify' all vehicles in the country by 2032. The government is looking at ways in which it can shape a new mobility policy, and subsequently tasked a study group to submit recommendations and carry out a report into establishing best practices in order to facilitate such a transition.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has lamented the speed at which the country's 'Smart Nation' project is currently being implemented - and conceded it wasn't moving as fast as was expected. The Prime Minister insisted that it was imperative that solutions are sought quickly in order to resolve the issues currently being encountered by those tasked with the responsibility of launching the initiative.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has declared during a video address made to leaders at the World Government Summit in Dubai  that diversity is the key pillar for growth and critical in order to create new ideas and foster innovation. Mr. Abe was officially represented at the summit by Japan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Kentaro Sonoura.

Dr. Renato de Castro an esteemed and respected International advisor for World e-Governments Organization of Cities & Local Governments (WeGo), has shared three intriguing 'Smart Cities' predictions in a paper entitled Smart City: Disruptions and Predictions.

The Indian government has announced it will introduce free Wi-Fi hotspots to over 1,000 rural villages in the country. Participation in modern society is pretty much impossible without a good internet connection - but unfortunately there are still many parts of the world that are cut off from this, one example of this is in rural India where internet penetration levels remain dismally low.

The decision to turn off 2G in Singapore later this year is set to have devastating consequences for thousands of people who still use the city state’s second generation.

Singapore authorities have opted to pull the plug on 2G mobile phone networks in April this year. However, cash strapped migrant workers and technophobic pensioners are set to be cut off after failing to embrace the technology revolution in the city - instead opting for 2G network cheap and robust handsets as opposed to smartphones.

South Korea has been named as the No.1 nation in the world when it comes to having an innovative economy. The Korean's came out on top of Bloomberg's Innovation Index for 2017. The nation won the award based on its R&D intensity, value-added manufacturing and patent activity. However, it was the Nordic nations who were the biggest winners overall, but two nations featuring in the top five.

The beautiful city of Makati in the Philippines has taken the first steps towards becoming a smart city, following an announcement which was made at the FTTH Council Asia-Pacific’s Philippines Workshop. The project has been described as a trend setter in terms of smart cities in the region – and it has been described a significant and progressive step in the development and regeneration of cities in the Philippines.

PCCW Global and SURE Universal, a leading Internet of Things (IoT) software and platform developer, have signed an IoT Ecosystem Partnership Program (IEPP) agreement to deliver IoT home care medical solution.

Nokia, working in partnership with DOCOMO PACIFIC, is powering connectivity in Guam with the first commercial 5G service in the Marianas. This marks Nokia’s 49th 5G commercial contract. 

SP Telecom has partnered up with Nokia to enable faster go-to-market products for 5G deployment in Singapore in order to make use of a network which is equipped with intelligence functionality to replace Singapore’s existing network infrastructure.

India’s Tata Communications has revealed its launch for an IoT marketplace which is aimed at linking enterprise customers with IoT service providers through a single platform in an effort to accelerate the country’s growing IoT ecosystem.

When mobile data, video and streaming plans started offering an “all-you-can-eat” menu, they included just that – unlimited usage. Regardless of the amount of data used, the concept was that the subscriber was charged a single fixed rate each month, in order to avoid overage charges and customers’ experiencing bill shock. Many in the industry believed these flat rate tariffs would alleviate the need for billing and rating validations or requiring assurance services. Instead, what transpired was a realization that the complexities of revenue assurance audits simply shifted the goal posts for revenue assurance teams to continue to deliver billing accuracy.

A public consultation has been launched by Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to determine the suitable regulatory framework needed for 5G technology in order to start deploying the technology by 2020.

ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, today announced that it has signed heads of agreement with PLS Plantation Berhad.

HKT is considered to be Hong Kong's premier telecommunications service provider for the public, local and international businesses. Aiming to provide the best services and technologies to its clients, HKT is investing in new spectrums and in 5G to develop smart cities. In an exclusive interview, Paul Berriman, Group Chief Technology Officer at PCCW and HKT Group, spoke to Telecom Review about the newest spectrum the company applied for, its smart cities projects and the importance of security in 5G.

InterContinental Shenzhen, Shenzhen Telecom and Huawei signed a strategic cooperation agreement to create the world's first 5G smart hotel.

China Mobile Shanghai has launched a 5G network in Shanghai’s Hongqiao Railway Station, making it the first railway station to have a 5G digital indoor system (DIS). The deployment aims to achieve deep indoor 5G coverage within the whole station by the end of 2019 providing easy access to fast 5G network services for all passengers.

Hong Kong’s Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) has finally released a spectrum roadmap for 2019-2021.

ZTE Corporation has jointly released a white paper entitled “5G Best Choice Architecture” along with IHS. Based on a comparative analysis of 5G SA and NSA, the white paper concludes that SA architecture is the better path to the target network in 5G era from the perspectives of long-term investment, business capability and network performance.

At a 5G launch event in Beijing that doubled up as a pre-briefing for the MWC Barcelona 2019, Huawei officially launched its 5G multi-mode chipset Balong 5000 – along with the first commercial 5G device powered by it, the Huawei 5G CPE Pro. Together, these two new products provide the world's fastest wireless connections for your smartphone, your home, the office, and on the go.

Ericsson, Singtel and Singapore Polytechnic (SP) have partnered on Singapore’s first live 5G facility. Aimed at developing the 5G ecosystem in the country and driving 5G solutions for enterprises, the 5G Garage utilizes Singtel’s 3.5 GHz trial 5G network at Ayer Rajah. The 5G Garage is the first partnership of its kind between enterprise, industry and higher education in Singapore.

A Chinese operator has agreed to enter into multiple partnerships with Hong Kong as the city bolsters its effort to accelerate its smart city ambitions.

Qualcomm has unveiled that it is planning to establish three technology and testing centers in Taiwan which will help in the commercial development of 5G and advanced technologies. The research and design centers will be established in Hsinchu in the north of the country and will be operational in 2019.

Schneider Electric has established itself as a leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation. At its latest Innovation Summit which was held in the technologically-driven city-state of Singapore, Schneider Electric demonstrated how the company plans to solidify its position as the global leader in helping companies execute their digital transformation goals in the energy sector.

CAT Telecom, a Thai state-owned company that runs mobile communication, data consumption and applications services across the country, is in the process of rolling out a national IoT communication network in Thailand. Actility’s ThingPark wireless LPWA connectivity platform will be adopted to launch a smart city solution in Phuket which will be soon be followed by Bangkok. Actility has partnered with local system integrator and communication network specialist Teo Hong Silom Group to support both the deployment and scale-up of the network.

Chinese telecommunications behemoth Huawei has announced that continuous large bandwidth (100 MHz per operator) has become the key trend to drive future 5G business success. Huawei made the declaration at the Fourth Annual Asia-Pacific Spectrum Management Conference.

South Korea, one of the prominent countries leading the charge towards the commercialization of 5G networks has conducted one of the world's first ever 5G auctions.

Huawei recently released the world's first 3GPP R14-based commercial NB-IoT solution in eRAN13.1. This latest NB-IoT solution can provide much better performance than its predecessors.

An Australian city has announced it will commence the deployment of sensor gateways as part of its efforts to build infrastructure that will place the region at the forefront of Australian smart cities.

A comprehensive study released by CTIA, a US-based industry association of wireless carriers - has claimed that China remains ahead of South Korea in the race to develop and subsequently deploy 5G networks.

A prominent executive for Samsung Electronics in India has claimed that locally manufactured devices are critical to fueling the projected explosion of IoT technologies in the country.

Cambridge University has announced it has agreed to partner with Nanjing Municipal Government to create a smart cities research center which will be located in China. The collaboration will see both bodies examining how emerging technologies can support a modern 21st century city that has an integrated ecosystem that consists of IT, healthcare and building management.

Telecommunications operator Vodafone New Zealand has announced that it has conducted pre-standard 5G trials in partnership with Nokia in an effort to demonstrate how it can evolve its networks from 4G to 5G.

Australian telecommunications incumbent Telstra has announced that it is testing 5G-enabled Wi-Fi hotspots on two streets in Gold Coast in an effort to give users a taste of 5G as it evaluates its next move in relation to next-generation mobile technology.

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.

Chinese multinational telecommunications vendor ZTE which is a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet has partnered with market research firm IDC to jointly issue an "Expediting AI for Operations in the Networks of Future" white paper.

Chinese multinational telecommunications vendor ZTE has seen its innovative NB-IoT application recognized globally by being awarded the prestigious GLOMO award at Mobile World Congress 2018. It was ZTE's 'smart parking' solution which won the Best Mobile Service for the Connected Life GLOMO 2018 at the industry trade show currently being hosted in Barcelona.

Chinese vendor ZTE is refocusing its strategic sales plan towards Japan in a bid to secure a number of lucrative 5G contracts ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Chinese vendor Huawei and Telefonica have formally announced a world first in vehicle communications at their 5G joint innovation lab in Madrid.

China has been projected to lead the global adoption of 5G technology by 2023, according to research compiled by CCS Insight. CCS Insight have claimed that the country's booming market will ensure and facilitate that 5G is quicker out of the starting blocks than any other previous mobile technology.

The Taiwan 5G Alliance - linking together more than 40 corporations and organizations from the government, academia, and research sectors - aims to launch pre-commercial 5G networks in 2020 with the vision of building a world-class 5G industry chain in Taiwan that is at the forefront of global development and commercial deployment.

China Telecom and Huawei have collaborated to deliver a detailed report entitled '5G Network Slicing Enabling Smart Grid' which provides the results of the detailed analysis from a 5G network slicing project they duo embarked upon.

Finnish telecommunications colossus Nokia has announced that it has sealed a major deal to supply 5G base stations to Japan's largest mobile operator NTT Docomo. The agreement represents the vendor's first large-scale 5G contract since the first formal 5G New Radio (NR) standard was established and subsequently approved in last month.

ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, helped Japan's SoftBank Hawks seal a 4-3 victory over its opponent and won the championship at the main venue Yahuoku! Dome during the 2017 Japan Series.

ZTE Corporation, a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, and Velcom, a branch of A1 Telekom Austria Group, jointly announced the deployment of the first scaled commercial Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) network in Belarus. The network was deployed in Minsk city first and then in other regions accordingly as scheduled. So far, Velcom has verified smart metering and smart city solutions in the network.

Director of ITU's Telecommunications Standardization Bureau, Dr. Chaesub Lee, has confirmed that the ITU will seek to develop international standards for the internet of things and smart cities. Smart Cities World Forums magazine managed to secure an exclusive interview with Dr. Lee, who highlighted the progress the ITU is making towards defining 5G standards, and the benefits its KPI's are having for smart sustainable cities.

Dr. Young-sook Nam, secretary general of WeGO (World Smart Sustainable Organization) has said that WeGO can share and deliver their expertise and knowledge in smart sustainable city development by providing consulting services to member cities through feasibility study programs. Smart Cities World Forums magazine managed to secure an exclusive interview with Dr. Young-sook Nam who provided us with an in-depth and fascinating insight into the work conducted by WeGO.

Finnish telecommunications firm Nokia has announced that it has signed a MoU with Singaporean telecommunications operator Star-Hub in a collective effort to drive innovation in the technologically-driven country.

Sumitomo Electric Industries and NTT DOCOMO have been jointly testing the real-time collection and delivery of traffic information using high-definition sensors connected via a fifth-generation (5G) mobile communications system for advanced driving support.

Chinese telecommunications conglomerate Huawei has unveiled an ambitious project designed to empower the future development of smart cities at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona. Huawei has announced that it is aiming to build a 'nervous system' of smart cities by utilizing and infusing new information and communications technology such as Big Data, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence.

WISeKey, a digital information security, authentication and identity management company based in Switzerland has announced that its Internet of Things blockchain technology is set to be deployed in a number of selected 'smart cities' in China.

Ericsson and SmarTone, the leading mobile network operator in Hong Kong, are trialing FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) Massive MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology as part of the operator's network evolution plan towards 5G.

Huawei was the first ICT solutions provider to complete the entire second phase of 5G technology R&D test organized by the IMT-2020 (5G) Promotion Group. The results obtained during the test were showcased at the PT/Expo China 2017.

Parking management technology developer 'Smart Parking' has officially deployed its Internet of Things-based parking solution in the Australian city of Casey. The cutting-edge solution specifically designed to transform your parking experience consists of 904 'Smart Parking vehicle detection sensors which are used in order to monitor space availability and mobility bays.

SK Telecom announced the introduction of a new Wi-Fi technology that can deliver speed as fast as 5G technology. For the first time in South Korea, the technology successfully demonstrated speeds of up to 4.8Gbps at SK Telecom's Bundang Center.

Ericsson, PS Solutions Corp. (affiliated with SoftBank Group Corp.), and CKD Corporation, a supplier of actuation products, are collaborating on an update to "e-kakashi", a platform which applies artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into agricultural processes. First introduced by PS Solutions in 2015, the second-generation "e-kakashi" platform will launch in March 2018.

Singtel and Ericsson will jointly establish a Center of Excellence (CoE) to facilitate 5G development and deployment in Singapore. 5G, the next-generation mobile network technology, is expected to roll out globally from 2020 and will deliver massive connectivity, ultra-low latency, gigabit speeds, and enable advanced applications such as smart cities, Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality, and autonomous vehicles.

Vodafone Australia plans to roll out FDD Massive MIMO technology to selected mobile sites during 2018. The company has taken the next steps in the advancement of its mobile network performance by successfully conducting its first field demonstration of Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) using a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) band.

India's largest telecom services provider, Bharti Airtel, announced a strategic partnership with South Korean telecom provider SK Telecom, under which the Indian comapny will leverage SK Telekom's expertise to build the "most advanced telecom network in India".

Chinese telecommunications conglomerate Huawei has launched a demo 'smart city' in Weifang, China. It's part of an overall objective by the company to showcase and highlight its narrowband Internet of Things 'smart city' applications and Ocean-Connect IoT platform.

Japan's SoftBank and Huawei Technologies Japan teamed up to demonstrate various potential use cases for a 5G network to SoftBank's business partners. The use cases included ultra-high throughput, ultra-low latency transmission, and edge computing.

South Korean telecom provider SK Telecom and Nokia have successfully reduced latency between handset and base station to 2 milliseconds over SK Telecom's network, the company announced on September 4.

An Australian city has chosen an innovative Internet of Things platform which will deploy a network of environmental sensors that will relay real-time data on air quality, urban heat and noise. The 'Reekoh IoT' platform has been selected as part of the Technology for Urban Liveability Project (TULIP) which is based in Sydney.

Huawei announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Festo to jointly explore the 5G network application of manufacturing and to promote the digital transformation of the manufacturing industry with 5G Slicing Technology.