Singapore played host to an important meeting with the world’s leading international standard developers. The topics on the agenda included the definition of a process for the creation of global standards for smart cities. As a matter of fact, the implementation of universally accepted standards that enable a dialogue between different technologies and smart devices could provide a decisive impulse to the development of interconnected cities all around the world.

The meeting in Singapore was organized by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and involved the representatives of several standard developers, such as IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), ITU (International Telecommunication Union), CEN (European Committee for Standardization), CENELEC (European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers), and ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute).

ISO Secretary General Kevin McKinley said: “The meeting represented an important moment for debate where participants share and identify opportunities for greater collaboration. Our organization will involve other partners, including municipal administrators, with the aim to meet their needs and raise awareness on the value that international standards can have in developing a smart city.”

In Singapore, the same topic was also addressed in July during the World Smart City Forum, the first meeting involving the community of companies, public bodies and research centres, created for the promotion of sustainable smart cities in the world. In 2050, 70% of the world’s population will live in cities. The contribution of smart technologies will be essential to managing key services such as lighting, transportation and waste disposal at a larger scale.

Speaking the same language is a vital prerequisite in creating the new city and in using technology too!