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SAP is partnering with oil giant Saudi Aramco in creating a new solutions platform to enable Saudi Aramco to launch a digital business marketplace with thousands of Saudi Aramco buyers and suppliers in partnership with SAP Ariba.

Gulf Air recently revealed a cybersecurity step-change as part of an ongoing campaign to safeguard its operations and deliver industry-leading customer service. The national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain has reinforced its network perimeter to pre-empt and combat Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, improve data centre and application-level security and further enhance data and access protection measures.

Zain, Kuwait's leading telecommunications company, today announced their collaboration to launch a new cloud disaster recovery service that will provide IBM and Zain's enterprise customers with cloud-based business continuity capabilities and faster disaster recovery of their critical IT systems, without incurring the infrastructure expense of a second physical site. Through the new service, customers will benefit from the added flexibility of keeping their data in-country on IBM Cloud.

LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network has confirmed that the UAE is the most connected country in the world. The information released by LinkedIn accurately reflects the innovative and dynamic nature of the UAE.  The professional networking decides to publicly disclose the figures after it emerged that it had reached a milestone of 500 million members across 200 countries. The professional networking site has 22 million members in the MENA region alone.

The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science has announced that it is set to introduce eco-friendly drones to electrically seed clouds as part of the nation's weather bureau experiments. The UAE has been experimenting with new cloud-seeding methods and technology in order to feed rainwater to parched reaches of the region- and it has now revealed its exciting new experiment which will include the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for seeding.

Under the theme "Leading New ICT, The Road to Collaborative Public Safety", Huawei Global Safe City Summit 2017 will be held in Dubai, UAE from April 26-27. The event will bring together leading enterprises, industry experts, and partners from across the world to explore the trends and challenges of digital transformation within the public safety industry, as well as share innovative technology application practices.

The creation of technologies to make our cities and everyday lives smarter is a growing reality - not least with emerging 5G broadband technology and the growing applications within the Internet of Things (IoT). But as these smart applications grow, both in their innovation and scope of use, so does the need to build a partnership ecosystem through which we can roll out innovations that are leading to nothing less than a digital transformation.

A group of telecommunication experts have discussed the 'challenges' and 'opportunities' in a data-driven world at the world's first ever forum on Data Management. The event was a joint-collaboration between the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) which was held in Dubai, UAE.

Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), Director General, H.E. Mr. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori believes that governance frameworks and policies need to be properly established to ensure data is exchanged and shared effectively in order to drive innovation, creativity, enterprise and create new ecosystems.

American networking equipment firm Linksys have introduced their innovative VELOP system to the Middle Eastern market to much fanfare in Dubai. The new product is a complete wireless and wired solution that is simple to use, exceedingly fast - and provides 100% speed to the edge of the network. It is being hailed as the first true Whole Home Wi-Fi system that is set to revolutionize the Wi-Fi experience for ‘The Connected Family'.

Securing the Internet of Things will drive New Kuwait 2035's national digital transformation, said one of the world's leading cyber security experts on the sidelines of his talk at KIACS Cyber Security in Kuwait.

SAP had a strong presence at Mobile World Congress this year, featuring a connected car demo, a connected stadium demo, and an announced collaboration with Apple to deliver the expanded SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS. In addition, SAP named its new Head of Telco for the MENA region, Mr. Bulent Unsal, who said the Middle East and North Africa is an important region for the company where it has formed partnerships with local telcos to implement smart city solutions.

Dubai's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has hosted the world's first ever forum on Data Management. The event was a joint collaboration with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) who hosted the inaugural forum under the slogan of 'Transforming data into value, expanding the IoT potential with a special focus on Smart Cities'. The forum welcomed participation from a wide group of experts and decision-makers from around the world, as well as many UAE government entities and private sector companies.

Having transformed Istanbul into a 'city brand', Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has signed a cooperation agreement for a smart city consultancy project with Ericsson. Under the umbrella of the Istanbul Informatics and Smart City Technologies (ISBAK AŞ) company, the IMM and Ericsson will work together to achieve Istanbul's smart city vision and 2024 targets.

German car manufacturer BMW has reiterated its desire to invest in the development and production of self-driving vehicles by agreeing a deal with Mobileye. Mobileye is an organization that develops vision-based advanced driver assistance systems which provide warnings for collision prevention and mitigation.

Nokia and the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) have entered into a strategic collaboration to drive the development of an end-to-end UAS ecosystem that will make the UAE the first country in the world to allow the operation of drones by both businesses and government agencies in a safe, secure and managed environment.

Digital analysts have expressed their surprise at the explosion in popularity of video and messaging app Snapchat in the Middle East region. A global study by a leading research consultancy firm established that the proportion of internet users in the UAE who use Snapchat increased from 15% in 2014 to 53% this year.

YouTube have chosen Dubai to open its tenth space which further illustrates the success the online video platform is enjoying in the MENA and UAE region. The Google owned company has expanded its business from funny cat video, to a broadcaster in its own right - producing high-quality shows that range from anything such as fitness experts uploading their fitness regimes - to culinary enthusiasts sharing their recipes for tasty meals.

A recent report conducted by IT market research firm 6Wresearch has found that the UAE is leading an innovative strategic shift in using CCTV from citizen security to Smart City quality of life services. Public and private sector organizations have installed thousands of CCTV cameras.

Smart cities have revolutionized urban development by leveraging modern technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), next-generation networks, and data-driven solutions to enhance quality of life.

Technological advancements stand at the core of Asia’s smart city revolution, leveraging modern technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, digital twins, and data analytics to revolutionize urban living.

Presight, a leading global big data analytics and applied intelligence company, has signed a USD 190 million, six-year agreement with the Akimat (municipal government) of the City of Astana to deploy an AI-powered smart city project to digitize urban infrastructure, enhance traffic management, and modernize public services.

By 2026, Singapore plans to launch its first smart district, Punggol Digital District (PDD), advancing its smart city initiative and accelerating urban development.

In a significant move to accelerate the development of the Philippines’ electric mobility system, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a groundbreaking USD 100 million financing package with Ayala Corporation.

The global smart traffic camera market size is poised for remarkable growth, projected to reach USD 32.34 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.6% from 2021 to 2030, according to Allied Market Research.

Nestled at the base of Mount Fuji in Japan, Toyota’s Woven City, the world’s first “City of the Future” project, is set to welcome its first residents in fall 2025.

Japan’s smart cities market is set to experience remarkable growth, with projections indicating a surge from USD 63.15 billion in 2024 to USD 216.99 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth (CAGR) rate of 14.7% during the 2025 to 2033 forecast period, according to research and consulting firm Astute Analytica.

China launched a Long March-2D rocket on Wednesday, placing a satellite into orbit, according to a state news agency report.

Thailand is reportedly planning to build a $37 billion smart city in an industrial hub in Huai Yai Subdistrict of Chonburi Province, some 160 kilometers (99 miles) southeast of Bangkok.

Singapore has launched the South East Asia’s first industry-led smart cities development lab.

Social distancing technology is one of this year’s top emerging technology trends that is set to drive innovation in the post-COVID era.

Asite has launched a new research report examining how the construction industry can optimize its approach to digital engineering.

Huawei’s Deputy Chairman, Ken Hu, has outlined the tech giant’s vision and action plan for education under its digital inclusion initiative TECH4ALL at the Global Education Webinar entitled "Driving Equity and Quality with Technology", emphasizing that "connecting schools and skills development are two key ways for Huawei to improve equitable and quality education."

We live in a time characterized by immense uncertainty and an even greater reliance on digital technologies, more than ever before. COVID-19 has wreaked absolute havoc on almost every single industry, leaving the global economy in a state of distress and a future that has never been more ambiguous.

Chinese tech giant Huawei announced that its new smartphone will include built-in sensors that can measure body temperature.

Access to the latest and greatest in emerging technologies places us in a favorable position as a society when it comes to combatting the pandemic. COVID-19 has essentially affected the entire world, not just in terms of health, but has also placed many businesses and entire industries at risk and has forced us all to work and learn from home. This has caused quite the disruption and many organizations and governments across the world are working tirelessly to put an end to the crisis in recent months.

Scientists in Malaysia have created mobile robots aimed at making rounds in the country’s hospital wards to carry out regular check-ups on COVID-19 patients and to minimize the risk of infection in heakth workers.

BAI Communications has announced that global wireless communications executive Igor Leprince has been appointed to the role of Group Chief Executive Officer commencing 1st May 2020.

At Smart City Expo World Congress last week, Singapore launched its National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy in an effort to maintain its reputation for smart city technologies and to become a test-bed and global hub for AI solution development.

Sendai City and Nokia successfully conducted a test flight of a Nokia drone on a private LTE network provided by Nokia Digital Automation Cloud. They tested the potential use of drones during a tsunami or other disasters to help in prevention and mitigation efforts. The test verified that using a private LTE network to control and communicate with the drones is an effective means for enhancing situational awareness and communicating with the affected population during a disaster. This is the first time in the world this type of trial has been conducted.

Tourists visiting Singapore can now check in at some hotels using facial recognition technology under a pilot programme that could cut waiting times and help tackle a labour crunch.

Japan’s Seven Bank has recently partnered with NEC to introduce ATMs that implement facial recognition into their systems, incorporating biometric authentication along with a QR code scanner. This new system would not only allow banks to identify its customers, but also allow people to open bank accounts on the spot.

At MWC Shanghai 2019, Telecom Review attended a panel discussion titled ‘Future Tech Today’ which featured some key startup representatives and emerging tech experts who all spoke of the ways in which they plan to help societies of the future through the innovation of healthcare, education, agriculture and architecture, among many others. The panelists included Saathealth’s Founder and CEO Aakash Ganju, Strelka KB’s AR/VR expert Ivan Puzyrev, AWA’s Head of Innovation Cathrin Johansson, Eduardo Alarcon, CEO of Tokylabs, George Palamarizis, CEO & founder of Erga Plus and Director of Emerging Technologies at Ultrahaptics Jonny Codling. The panel was moderated by Telecom Review’s very own founder and Editor-in-Chief, Toni Eid.

E-Agriculture is an up and coming area in the digital age which could affect farmers, businesses, economies, regulators and operators. This is an exciting time for traditional industries like agriculture, to leverage the benefits posed by emerging tech.

Singtel launched Unboxed, a 45 square-meter shop without staff that aims to make customers’ retail experience faster and more convenient. The newly opened outlet showcases how Singtel’s digital transformation takes customer experience to a whole new level.

NEC Corporation announced on Monday it will start cancer drug development which focuses on advanced immunotherapy in the US through the use of artificial intelligence.

A press release by IT research company Gartner revealed that Huawei servers were ranked third globally by revenue in the fourth quarter of 2018 with a 45.9% year-on-year growth rate, the highest for servers in the world.

IDC experts have forecasted that security investment in the region could potentially reach to $28.2 billion by 2022.

HUAWEI CLOUD officially launched its Blockchain Service (BCS) for global use after launching it for commercial use in China on October 10th this year. Now available on the international HUAWEI CLOUD website, the service helps global enterprises and developers create, deploy, and manage blockchain applications quickly and at minimal cost on HUAWEI CLOUD. Its global launch lays the foundations for a distributed global blockchain platform.

At a seminar held in Stanford University in Pala Alto, California, senior information technology experts and entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley discussed China’s smart city development and application at the U.S.-Asia Technology Management Center and Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures.

Huawei and Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) jointly released the cloud security service management guide at the CSA APAC 2018 summit held in Singapore. As the technical director of the Cyber Security and User Privacy Protection Business Management Dept. of Huawei Products & Solutions, Dr. Chen Kai, President of the CSA Cloud Security Service Management (CSSM) Working Group (WG), delivered a speech at the summit and released the guide.

Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited, a global leading solutions and services provider of wireless and information communications systems, announced the launch of ScanViS ID GateGuard, a new facial recognition and analytic solution for access control and attendance registration targeting enterprises and the property sector.

NTT DOCOMO Ventures, Inc. has invested in QD Laser, Inc. through the fund it operates. QD Laser develops, manufactures, and sells cutting-edge semiconductor laser parts, retinal scanning laser eyewear, and other products based on an innovative quantum dot laser technology.

In the race against time to provide consumers with what they want and when they want it, phone companies pack more power, more speed and more efficiency into each new chipset design.

Chinese telecommunications vendor and technology leader Huawei has partnered with Kenya Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd. in an effort to provide a comprehensive analysis of the key factors of power communications network construction.

Telenor Group and UNICEF today announced that its successful mobile birth registration pilot will be scaled to Myanmar. The organisations signed a partnership agreement for a Mobile Birth and Death Registration (MBDR) project endorsed by the Government of Myanmar.

New research compiled has projected that AI will replace between 40-50 million full-time jobs in the country over the next fifteen years. The report stated that it was imperative the China's labor market be prepared to adapt to the challenges brought on by the rapid development of AI and automation.

Japan will be relying on robots to teach English to children. In fact, the Japanese government has decided to turn to technologies to try to interest students in foreign languages ​​in an archipelago not so polyglot.

A South Korean city has introduced a blockchain-platform that has been specifically designed to enhance environmental sustainability and reduce harmful carbon emissions that have been plaguing the urban metropolis.

Huawei Consumer Business Group (CBG) has today announced its latest wearable device, HUAWEI TalkBand B5, the fourth generation of Huawei's TalkBand products and the successor to HUAWEI TalkBand B3 launched in 2016.

Police in China have embraced AI technology after introducing revolutionary 'smart glasses' which enables its officers to identify passengers and car license plates within milliseconds.

Singapore the city-state regarded as one of the world's leadings hubs for technological innovation has commenced trials of iris-scanning technology at its border checkpoints. Singapore's immigration authority officially confirmed the trialing of the expensive technology had begun and claimed that it could one day replace fingerprint verification.

Artificial intelligence (Al) is regarded as a key to drive the world's future development. Although Europe and the United States are dominated by private enterprises, while the Mainland China is led by national entities, the core of AI formation, in fact, is rested on available top-notch talent. The 2017 Global AI Talent White Paper released by the Tencent Research Institute in December last year stated that there are approximately 300,000 AI researchers and practitioners in the world, while the market demand for AI talent is in millions. In the first 10 months of 2017, the demand for AI talent was twice of that in 2016. The report suggests that the bottleneck is education - though there are 20,000 graduates from related disciplines each year, the number is far from adequate to meet the demand.

The New South Wales government is well aware of the importance of technology today and in the future. That is why, it announced that it will invest $23 million in a new program named STEMShare Community that provides every public school with access to emerging technology, thus adding value to the state’s syllabus and the ICT general capability for the Australian curriculum.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will deploy a high-speed facial recognition system for all 300,000 athletes, staff members and journalists. It is an unprecedented initiative in the history of the Olympics that aims to improve safety and efficiency.

New AR- and VR-based services will see the light soon thanks to KT, South Korea's second-largest mobile operator, beginning with a mobile shopping service.

South Korean multinational conglomerate Samsung has announced its intentions to open three new AI research centres. It officially announced its expansion plans via a statement - and disclosed that the new AI research facilities will be opened in the UK, Canada and Russia to add to the AI centres it already has in South Korea and the United States.

A South Australian water utility firm has said that integrating smart technology into its underground water network system has proactively identified and repaired potential leaks and breaks before they escalated which would ultimately affect thousands of customers and commuters.

A female Japanese astronaut is heading a new Space Colony Research center in Tokyo, as part of an effort to find out if the human species can live in space. Chiaki Mukai is utilizing cutting-edge technology in a bid to find out the answer to the age old question.

A digital bio-security officer will help international visitors arriving at Auckland Airport, the largest in New Zealand. The digital bio-security officer is called Vai, which stands for Virtual Assistant Interface.

During a media and analysis briefing ahead of Mobile World Congress 2018, which will be held in Barcelona, Chinese ICT solutions provider Huawei emphasized the importance of all industries to work together and go beyond traditional boundaries to achieve a fully-connected, intelligent world.

The Indian government has announced that it will develop a national program on AI after acknowledging that the emerging technology has been the potential to reshape and revolutionize the world as we know it. It has also been reported that India is looking to China for inspiration and will attempt to replicate its business model and strategic approach to Artificial Intelligence in order to become a global AI superpower.

Chinese e-commerce colossus Alibaba Cloud has announced that it has deployed its cutting-edge smart city Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur. This represents the Chinese vendor's first implementation of its AI platform outside its domestic market.

Chinese firm YITU Technology (YITU) which is a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and innovation has officially launched a new office in Singapore. The new facility will serve as the company’s regional hub in order to help YITU accelerate its award-winning and renowned AI and facial recognition solutions to whole series of new customers, partners and markets in regions such as Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau and Oceania.

The Chinese government has announced that it will invest a staggering $2.1 billion into the development of a new industrial park for AI research in Beijing. Other global superpowers such as Russia, the United States and the UAE have already invested heavily in AI (artificial intelligence) which has been recognized as a key economic driver in the future.

Japan's SoftBank and Huawei's Wireless X Labs recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding connected robots. SoftBank plans to offer Cube and Kibako (automated cube robots), while Huawei provides 5G wireless networks. Joint efforts will be conducted to implement 5G-based smart service robots by 2018.

To further the implementation of mixed-ownership reform-related deployments and be a creator of smart living trusted by customers, on 5 November, China Unicom and JD.com held an opening ceremony in Guangzhou to unveil their jointly built Smart Living Experience Store in Guangzhou.

Nokia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with St Luke's Eldercare (SLEC) to co-develop and conceptualize innovative solutions for the elderly. As part of the MoU, Nokia and SLEC are trialing Asia's first fall prediction video analytics application.

PCCW Global, the international operating division of HKT, Hong Kong's premier telecommunications service provider, and Zhuhai Da Hengqin Science and Technology Development Co., Ltd. (DHQ Tech) will together explore the technological and regulatory viability of promoting multi-currency 'Tap & Go' mobile payment in the Greater Bay Area of Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macau, in order to boost e-commerce, business trade and tourism in the region.

Online spending in China has increased by 32 percent per year in the last five years, reaching $967 billion in 2016, according to a new report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), which explores what makes China's rapid internet growth unique - and how foreign companies can crack vibrant digital markets.

Sri Lanka's national mobile network operator, Mobitel, has enhanced its 4G LTE network coverage by launching LTE on 900MHz spectrum. The initiative is Sri Lanka's first such deployment, thus significantly enhancing Sri Lanka's LTE coverage.

Uzbekistan's State Unitary Enterprise 'Centre of Radio Communication, Broadcasting and Television' (SUE CRRT) announced it will rely on SES Video for the upcoming launch of its first DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television) multiplex, using NSS-12 at 57 degrees East to transmit TV signals to all head-ends of its DTT network.

Ericsson, together with Ciena and Australian telecom provider Telstra, has successfully trialed continuous data encryption while maintaining speed and reliability over 21,940 km across multiple cable systems. The engineering teams demonstrated the ability to encrypt data securely while in transit between Los Angeles and Melbourne at 100Gbps, using Ciena's ultra-low latency 100 Gigabit wire-speed encryption solution.

The world's first test of truly live 360º video at the 2017 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix was conducted by Formula 1 and Tata Communications on Sept. 25 to show how the F1 racing experience could be augmented for fans worldwide by enabling them to experience the show in action almost as if they were there.

China Unicom, together with Ericsson, has commercially launched a Gigabit LTE network in China, allowing subscribers to "enjoy the services and benefits available with high-speed mobile broadband data," an Ericsson statement said.

Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group will contribute its cloud computing capabilities to transform Macau, an autonomous region on the south coast of China, into one of Asia Pacific's leading smart cities, South China Morning Post reported. Alibaba and Macau signed an agreement on Friday August 4.

Indian telecommunications operator Reliance believes its new smartphone start-up Jio, which has produced a 'free' internet-enabled device entitled the 'JioPhone' - will bring connectivity to millions in rural parts of India.

China has revealed its plans which it believes if successfully executed will make it the world leader in AI (artificial intelligence) by 2030 - which would see the industry worth around $147.7 billion. China's state council disclosed a three-step roadmap it has established, in which it outlined its thinking behind AI and how it expects the technology to be developed and deployed.

Japan's SoftBank announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement of investment in Energy IoT Platformer, ENCORED INC. ("Encored"). On August 1, the corporate name will change from ENCORED INC. to Encored Japan Inc. ("Encored Japan"). SoftBank will also invest in Encored USA.

China's largest social media and gaming organization, will enter the domain of the 'smart TV' sector following the announcement that it has reached an agreement with TCL Corp. Tencent Holdings has agreed to allow its video content to be streamed on TCL's 'smart TVs' - which will expand its content dominance from mobile phones to living rooms.

An AI expert employed by a leading US based computing firm has claimed that AI (Artificial Intelligence) will play a key role in securing 'smart cities' - as nations continue to pursue smart city initiatives, projects and programs on a global basis in order to improve urban living. AI can enable law enforcement units to predict where crime could potentially be carried out after collecting and subsequently analyzing data retrieved from sensors and cameras.

The recent ransomware cyber-attack which targeted a series of large corporations and multinationals on a global scale has increased the focus on the issue of cybersecurity. India is home to an army of 'ethical hackers' who earn vast sums of money protecting foreign corporations and global technology leaders from cyber-attacks. However, at home in India these hackers are largely ignored - which poses the question is their unique skillset misunderstood or distrusted?

Japanese automakers have looked beyond the industry trend to develop self-driving cars and instead are focusing their attentions on developing robots in an effort to keep Japan's elderly population on the move. The country's population is ageing faster than the rest of the world and its birthrate continues to decrease. Toyota Motor Corp has recognized the potential in becoming a mass producer of robots in order to alleviate and help Japan's elderly citizens.

A leading Japanese multinational IT services provider has setup a security operations center in California as part of its effort to combat against the rising number of cybersecurity attacks and hacking scandals currently blighting the IT sector. NEC Corporation announced that specialized security company Infosec Corporation which is owned by the NEC Group will open the center in Santa Clara, California. It is expected that the construction on this new project will start in April, 2017.

A group of researchers in Japan have suggested that small insect sized drones covered in a coat of horsehair and sticky gel could pollinate crops which would significantly reduce the costly loss of bee populations across the globe. The miniature drones are still a long way off in terms of their production and subsequent introduction into the field, but researchers believe they offer a partial solution to the loss of bees with disease and climate change decimating its population.

The Barcelona City Council and Huawei Spain have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to drive innovation and advance smart city initiatives.

Virgin Media O2 Business (VMO2) and the River Severn Partnership Advanced Wireless Innovation Region (RSPAWIR) have launched a 5G private network trial at Overbury Farms, located on the border between Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in England.

Europe’s smart lighting market is projected to grow from USD 3.54 billion in 2024 to USD 15.23 billion by 2033, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.58% between 2025 and 2033, according to ResearchAndMarkets.

Energy firm Octopus Energy is set to transform Germany’s sustainable living with the launch of the country’s first 100% “Zero Bills” neighborhood in Schramberg.

A McKinsey report entitled “Value Creation in the Metaverse” states that the market value for the metaverse is expected to touch $5 trillion by 2030 – equivalent to the size of the world’s third-largest economy, Japan.

The Museum of the Future presented Dubai’s vision of tomorrow in its inaugural participation at the 26th International Trade Show for Museums (SITEM), held at the iconic Louvre Museum in Paris.

ClimateView’s platform provides cities with pre-populated and evolving climate data and ways to test and evaluate millions of scenarios that balance emission reduction goals with essential activities in their local economy, thereby supporting sustainable growth.

From cameras criss-crossing the city to payment systems popping up at metro gates and supermarket checkouts, facial recognition is rapidly taking root in Moscow.

The Telecommunications (Security) Bill aims to give the government unprecedented new powers to boost the security standards of the UK’s telecom networks and reduce the risks of cyber threats. The bill is now on the Report Stage of the Parliament.

An Israeli artificial intelligence computer vision company has unveiled a new app which provides “concierge services” digitally to visitors of commercial buildings.

Nokia today announced an automated, zero-touch elevated temperature detection solution designed to help spot potential COVID-19 infections in facilities with thousands of people.

With the decreasing price of connected devices, the market for smart cities is expected to grow exponentially namely in the fields of smart governance and education, report finds.

Major UK city, Manchester, has unveiled its plans to launch a new cybersecurity hub in an effort to optimize the city’s cybersecurity resilience.

A 5G pilot zone has been deployed for the first time at the SUEK coal company open-pit mine in Khakassia, Russia to test the potential of 5G as part of an autonomous haulage system developed by Zyfra, Finnish-Russian industrial digitalization leader.

As we have all been confined to our homes over the past three months, due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, video conferencing has become the ultimate new alternative to face-to-face interactions.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has launched an initiative worth €60 million in response to the pandemic in an effort to curb the effects of the crisis.

The UN’s International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has published the results of its ‘United for Smart Sustainable Cities’ initiative (U4SSC) which highlights Moscow’s efforts in digitally transforming the city, according to the Moscow Department of IT.

The Moscow Department of information technology (DIT) has announced that it will hold a series of lectures and master classes, led by industry experts, pertaining to smart cities for IT students across the capital.

In 2018 Kaspersky’s Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) published – an operation aimed at stealing cryptocurrency carried out by prolific threat actor the Lazarus group.

The E-Home crowdsourcing initiative, which calls on citizens to make suggestions on how apartment living can  be managed by residents by means of digital technologies, is implementing three hundred and forty-two ideas across Moscow based on citizens’ recommendations received. 

Analytical agency 2thinknow has published its Innovation Cities Index 2019. The list is topped by New York, which has picked up three points to push last year’s leaders – Tokyo and London – down one place each.

Attacks in the cyberspace in the Middle Eastern region are very much prominent and present. Bitdefender, the cybersecurity technology provider, has been at the forefront of providing organizations with robust security infrastructure to protect them against cyberattacks.

Hitachi has envisioned how train stations of the future could transform passenger experience with the concept of deploying robots enabled by Artificial Intelligence. The robots would guide passengers to their train and offer real-time information on departures and arrivals. Hitachi unveiled the concept in the UK following its trial elsewhere across the globe.

Matt Warman, the Minister for Digital and Broadband in the UK, has said that he plans to write to all UK planning authorities to not block the country’s 5G rollout without “legitimate grounds and evidence” citing the health dangers of 5G.

Waste management is one of the world’s most pressing issues, however Peruza and Dots, two Latvian companies, have created a prototype through the use of AI to increase the efficiency of plastic waste.

Airbus, the European aerospace giant, fell victim to a series of cyberattacks by hackers who were trying to gain access to the company’s commercial secrets.

The European Network for Cyber Security (ENCS) and the European Distribution System Operators’ Association (E.DSO) have released some baseline cyber security requirements for smart meters and data concentrators.

Around 2000 participants from over 120 countries around the world attended the Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Good Global Summit in Switzerland between May 28-31 to discuss the latest innovations in AI and how they could be utilized to combat pressing global issues.

TalkTalk has failed to inform 4,545 customers that during the 2015 data breach, their personal information was stolen, including bank account details.

Nesta, an innovation foundation, has said that it will invest 250,000 GBP to fund 12 experiments aimed at using artificial intelligence and other technologies combined with human intelligence to “make something that is better than either on its own”.

A survey shows that over the past two years, 9 in 10 critical infrastructure providers have been hit by 2 or more cyber attacks. A majority of the cyber attack victims have had their environments damaged, leaving their systems out of action, after at least one attack.

PwC and London Transport Museum collaborated with the international law firm Gowling WLG and Thales, the global transport and security company and produced a report titled ‘Rethinking Smart Futures’.

Local councils and police forces in UK cities are using personal data from the public to form algorithms which could track crime against children.

The digital arm of French telecommunications behemoth Orange has announced that it is one of a number of investors in a new AI credit scoring start-up firm.

Signify’s new Philips Urban VR experience will allow city planners to visualize and test different lighting designs for their streets and buildings. Users will take a journey down a virtual street where they can observe the different effects of Phillips street light luminaires and the patterns they cast.

Homeowners will be turning their homes into personal power stations and cutting electricity bills by up to 80 per cent, thanks to a Virgin Startup-backed renewable energy company Resilience.

Executives from some of Europe’s largest companies and prominent technology thought-leaders have gathered for the inaugural meeting of the European’s Commission’s AI4EU project, which aims to drive the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across a wide range of industries.

The use of malicious software to attack IoT devices like smart home security monitoring systems is rising substantially and growing more sophisticated as cyber criminals take advantage of lax security, Nokia's Threat Intelligence Report 2019 warned on Tuesday.

An insights and predictive analytics enterprise, Citi Logik, has won Data Pioneer of the Year Award at the 2018 UK Business Technology Awards.

American car maker Ford has developed a data-driven solution that could help to identify where traffic collisions are likely to happen – allowing local authorities to fix problems areas before an accident occurs, rather than after.

Acronis, a global leader in hybrid cloud solutions, announced a global technology partnership with Manchester City Football Club. As part of the partnership, Acronis will help the Club to enhance and develop its data backup and storage capabilities.

Dutch co-working space provider and innovator, B. Amsterdam, has announced B. Smart City Hub, a 24000 m² hall for companies looking for space for assembly, storage and distribution near the center of Amsterdam. The hub is planned to be operational in January 2019 and is dedicated mainly for companies in the waste, water, energy, logistics, smart storage, food and mobility sectors.

French telecommunications operator Orange has announced it has agreed to partner with US technology colossus Google, in an effort to explore opportunities to fund and potentially acquire start-ups in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Nokia today published its annual sustainability report, covering the company's sustainability performance in 2017 and focusing on four priority areas: improving people's lives with technology, protecting the environment, conducting our business with integrity, and respecting our people.

US tech giant Apple announced it had shelved plans to build an 850-million-euro ($1.0-billion) data center in Ireland over a court battle with conservationists who were seeking to preserve a forest.

Smartphones do not provide the disruptive technology developments needed to enable intuitive and prolonged interaction with 'smart' homes and cities, says WITgrip.

The Nuffield Foundation has announced that an independent institute will be established in an effort to safeguard society from emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things.

Financial analysts are predicting that Switzerland is set to become the global epicenter for the forthcoming cryptocurrency and blockchain technology that it is built on. Reports have emerged that investors are flocking to the affluent Alpine nation in an effort to get in on the virtual action.

The European Commission recently unveiled plans to invest jointly with the EU Member States in building a world-class European supercomputers infrastructure. Supercomputers are needed to process ever larger amounts of data and bring benefits to the society in many areas from health care and renewable energy to car safety and cybersecurity.

Moscow has announced that it will pilot a project which implements blockchain technology into its electronic voting system. The Russian capital will become the first city in the world to implement the emerging technology in e-voting on such a large scale.

Huawei announced that it has been selected by Vodafone Group as an approved vendor to supply its FusionSphere OpenStack platform, to support the operator’s global roll out of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networks (SDN).

Nokia and Inria, a French national research institute dedicated to promoting 'scientific excellence in the service of technology transfer and society as a whole', announced the renewal of their joint lab for a four-year period. The announcement took place during an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Inria with Marcus Weldon, Nokia CTO and Nokia Bell Labs President, and Antoine Petit, Inria CEO.

Orange Marine, a major player in the laying of new submarine communications cables and the maintenance of existing cables across the world's oceans, France-based Orange Group, has signed a partnership with Euro-Argo, the European branch of a global ocean observation consortium, to provide technical resources to launch free-drifting oceanographic data collection floats along its ships' routes.

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.

Citizens of the United Kingdom will be able to force social media platforms to delete information about them, including content published during their childhood, due to government proposals that will bring data laws into line with new European regulations, Reuters reported.

Kaspersky Lab researchers have detected new malware designed to steal the credentials of online banking customers. Earlier versions of the new malware, called NukeBot, were known to the security industry as TinyNuke, but lacked the features necessary to launch attacks. The latest versions however, are fully operable, and contain code to target the users of specific banks.

Having abolished roaming charges in 50 destinations and introduced industry-leading care initiatives like TOBi the chatbot in April, Vodafone UK has made even more improvements that put customers' needs at the heart of its service including new AI digital customer service initiatives.

US global search engine colossus and technology leaders Google have announced it will use electricity generated by a solar park to power a recently opened data center that the firm established. Google has publicly disclosed that it will purchase all of the electricity which is generated by the largest solar park in Holland over the next decade to power its data center.

In Bristol, United Kingdom, the world's first clinical trial of 3D-printed bionic hands for child amputees has begun. The technology is manufactured by a company called Open Bionics based in South Gloucestershire, launched four years ago. Upon success of the trial, the bionic hands will become available on the National health Service.

A number of financial institutions all over the world have taken steps to strengthen their own security systems after infrastructure following the global cyber-attack which affected a number of organizations worldwide.

Thousands of institutions around the world were subject to a series of "WannaCry" ransom attacks over the weekend (starting Friday, May 12), causing data to be encrypted with a claim for payment. The virus was a malicious program that affects smartphones and computers, encrypts and locks their data so that it cannot be accessed until payment is made.

Denmark's Prime Minister has claimed that the Scandinavian country is not properly equipped to adapt to the technologically driven changes of the labor market, following US ride-sharing firm Uber's decision to leave the country due to what it deemed to be unfair regulatory policies introduced by the government.

In order to help tackle the serious threats posed to network security, ETSI, officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization, will stage a comprehensive week-long event devoted to this increasingly crucial subject.

Satellite giant SES and the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs announced that they have extended a contract to maintain and support SATMED, an e-health satellite platform, until 2020.

Dutch politicians are set to enter discussions in relation to a new bill which would enable police to have greater power in their attempts to crackdown on Cybercrime in the country. Senators will meet later this week to discuss plans to implement the proposed bill named 'Computer Crime III' into its legislation as a new law.

Police in the UK has claimed the introduction of wearable cameras in order to monitor alleged police misconduct and offer greater transparency has been a success. However, it has received mixed reviews with some expressing their ethical concerns over the issue of privacy. 

A recent survey conducted on the topic of 'smart cities' in the UK - has unearthed some surprising results. Over 67% of those surveyed felt that the implementation of 'smart cities' was a bad use of public finances - and also expressed concerns over the privacy implications of 'smart cities'.

A team of Czech and British scientists have successfully tested what they've described as a 'super laser' which they believe to be 10 times more powerful than any other type of similar laser in the entire world.

France has established its first ever cyber-warfare unit following fears that the nation could be the victim of hackers. The announcement was made earlier this week, and comes hot on the heels of the US and Russian hacking scandal which has engulfed much of the mainstream media in the past week.

Praxis, a groundbreaking city-state initiative combining artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain governance, and libertarian standards, has already secured USD 525 million in funding and attracted approximately 14,000 registered “Praxians” before construction has even begun.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has launched a statewide vehicle-to-everything (V2X) program and a comprehensive climatetech economic development strategy, positioning the state as a leader in clean energy innovation.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has announced its plans to establish New York as a global leader in applied artificial intelligence (AI).

Mcity, the University of Michigan’s autonomous vehicle testing facility, has launched its digital twin for mobility systems testing. This virtual replica of the physical Mcity facility will allow researchers to test their algorithms without the need to reserve time at the actual site.

The global smart buildings market is poised for remarkable growth, with projections indicating an increase from USD 129,525.68 million in 2024 to a staggering USD 509,007.50 million by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.66% in the 2024 to 2032 forecast period, according to Market Research Future.

Colombia’s Santa Marta City has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with global solution providers Gorilla Technology Group, Inc., NC Digy Smart Cities, and AECOM to become an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart city, advancing Latin America’s urban innovation.

In a significant milestone, Chicago has become one of the largest cities in the United States to power its facilities and operations entirely with renewable energy, as announced by the city’s Mayor, Brandon Johnson, the Department of Environment (DOE), and the Department of Fleet and Facility Management (2FM).

With the newly-introduced AWS Smart City Competency, customers can quickly and confidently identify AWS Partners who can help them address smart city-focused challenges.

After the Twitter takeover fallout, Tesla owner Elon Musk seems to have another headache to deal with. His electric car maker brand Tesla has been accused of misleading consumers about its driver assistance systems by a California regulator.

With a focus on modern life, Microsoft Holo Glasses will provide a totally new view of our smartphones, tablets and TVs, and be perfectly matched to the use of our digital devices. Microsoft Holo Glasses aren't just hardware, they're functional fashion, and more stylish than the geeky Google glasses were in 2013. They scale down Microsoft’s existing HoloLens 2 technology into a slim wearable that fits comfortably on the face and comes with snap-on frames that allow the swapping of styles in a minute.

Sessions over the first two days of the Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA) Global Summit have highlighted the spectrum sharing lessons learned between countries worldwide and the current demand for unlicensed access. On its final day, the Global Summit explored national spectrum plans and the economic benefits of the spectrum.

Aiming to slash the cost of future electric vehicle batteries and reducing its dependence on price-sensitive metals such as cobalt, General Motors Co is experimenting with silicon-rich and lithium metal anodes, solid state and high voltage electrolytes, and dry processing of electrodes for its next generation of Ultium batteries, due around 2025, according to the company’s president Mark Reuss. 

A new research from Syracuse University shows the effectiveness of building systems to mitigate airborne transmission of pathogens in buildings. Carrier Global Corporation, provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions and Syracuse University have co-developed an assessment tool that can evaluate buildings for airborne pathogen transmission risk and provide custom strategies to help ensure healthier and safer environments for building occupants.

Burlington, Vermont in the US has deployed a wastewater-based epidemiology program to detect COVID-19 and contain its spread.

The US Federal Trade Commission has announced that Zoom Video Communications has agreed to boost its security practices amid “misleading” security claims.

Smart cities are predicted to create a great deal of business opportunities, projected to be valued at $2.46 trillion by 2025, a new study finds.

Apple has announced the delay of the implementation of its new anti-tracking feature, designed to ensure that apps and websites don’t track users without their consent.

A company, co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) technology which has the ability to create coherent stories, write novels and computer code.

Houston has expanded its alliance with Microsoft in an effort to enhance the city’s economic development and recovery via the deployment of various smart city initiatives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about tremendous opportunities for businesses and societies around the world to create greater efficiencies and maximize revenues and profitability.

The landscape of post-pandemic education will look very different. The advent of 5G and the types of technologies that it will enable, coupled with the pandemic and the realization of the need for and the use of technologies such as AR and VR, are set to make way for a more advanced and tech-centric educational landscape.

A heat map powered by Facebook data has been unveiled in an effort to track the spread of the novel coronavirus and reopen society again.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic which has struck the entire world, forcing it into a great global lockdown, social distancing has become key to our survival.

Facebook has announced that they will be collecting data about users’ movements and relationships in an effort to help researchers better anticipate the potential areas in which the coronavirus might spread.

Microsoft Corporation and C3.ai, a company which specializes in artificial intelligence (AI), have partnered with six US-based universities to form a research consortium in an effort to speed up the digital transformation of governments, societies and businesses.

It is no doubt or surprise that technology has radically changed the way we go about our daily lives. Our hyper digital world has seen the rapid shift from rural to urban, greater smartphone adoption, an increase in intelligent devices per individual, tech savvy consumers and connected services. 

Smart Cities are no longer a phenomenon of the future, they are rapidly becoming a part of our digital reality. Smart cities use emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), smart sensors, augmented/virtual reality and many others to better the lives of the city’s respective citizens.

Cisco has unveiled further details behind its technology strategy for building a new internet — one designed to push digital innovation beyond the performance, economic and power consumption limitations of current infrastructure.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have announced they are stepping down from top roles at the online giant's parent company, Alphabet.

Digitalization has seeped its way into all areas of society in the postmodern world, namely in the developed world, be it politics or economics; it has changed our lives for the better in the ways that we interact with one another and go about our daily lives. While it has simplified a number of processes and enabled businesses to become more efficient, it has brought about a great deal of vulnerabilities that were not previously accounted for to organizations that use these new emerging technologies.

Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and business reengineering services and solutions announced today its collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated to offer smart city solutions globally. The 'Smart City Accelerator Program' launched by Qualcomm Technologies in April, is aimed at connecting cities, government agencies and enterprises with service providers offering Qualcomm Technologies-based smart city solutions.

The ‘connected’ car, while still in its early stages, is expected to improve traffic flow and most importantly, consumer safety. However, concerns have been on the rise about the cybersecurity element of these vehicles.