Smart cities need all kinds of infrastructure that respond to the current and future needs of people living in them. Technology can collect and analyse information to provide solutions as situations change, such as demands for power due to extreme heat or cold, or traffic and crowd management. Experts working under this theme can develop solutions that support the infrastructure and technology challenges of smart cities.

Broad objectives:
  • Ubiquitous connectivity for all
  • Open source data sharing
  • Scalability and planning for growth
  • Data platforms and analytics
  • Resilience: Disaster proof city
Initial focus:

Report- Smart technologies for data collection, processing and dissemination

Feasibility Study- Digital infrastructure: networks to distribute a sufficient number of sensors that meet the needed level of assets connectivity and control

Economic modelling- cost benefits of technologies

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

Cities are the engines of growth for countries and account for around 80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). A vibrant economy is essential to a city or region being globally competitive. Smart cities develop more competitive business environments. The economy of a smart city is driven by technically inspired innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, provided by smart people. All smart cities aim to increase employment rates, increase the value of property, increase the number of businesses and patents, and decrease the number of people living in poverty. The challenge is how to do this in a way that does not lead to a loss in physical and mental well-being, damage to the environment and includes people from all classes.

Broad objectives:
  • Creating Regional/Sub-urban growth centres
  • Spur Innovation with Open Source data
  • Sustainability: Circular economy
  • Adoption of Industry 4.0. India's leapfrog opportunity
Initial focus:

Report- New economic opportunities in sectors such as industry, tourism, retail, construction, commerce, and transportation

Feasibility Study- Optimum investment in human resources for industrial skills and infrastructure

Economic modelling- Cost of implementing a circular economy

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

As the world increases its population, getting from place to place becomes more challenging if we do not find new ways to do move around. This theme will focus on how to improve mobility for all whilst working towards zero emissions and minimal impact on the environment. It will also address how we can meet the future demand. There are so many questions to answer and attitudes to change such as shifting mindsets from ownership to sharing.

Broad objectives:
  • Shared modes of transport: Mobility as a Service
  • De-congestion
  • Safety: Towards zero traffic fatalities
Initial focus:

Report- Planning public transport in fast growing cities

Feasibility Study- Strategies to win more passengers for shared modes of transport

Economic modelling- What are the cost benefits of smart mobility for improved public transport linkages, walkability, multilevel parking, and improved design of roads

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

A smart city is a healthy city for reasons that extend beyond health care. This theme will focus on what needs to be done to make cities healthy. We know of many technologies which can be used to deliver health care such as tele-medicine, and the importance of early detection and early intervention, but what can be done to reduce ill-health in the first place?

One of the biggest causes of ill-health and death is poor air quality. So how can the quality of air be improved to make a city clean and healthy?

Increasing active transport such as walking or riding a bicycle will improve mental health and well-being as well as cardiovascular health, so how can we make active transport safe for everyone?

Broad objectives:
  • Digital health; early detection, early intervention
  • Technology to improve access to health services
  • Active transportation – an active city is a clean & healthy city
  • Population health: Improved health status, reduced inequalities in health
Initial focus:

Modelling- Impact on health systems and health status of increased migration from rural to urban areas

Feasibility Study- Unifying the national patient database to inform efforts to improve access and resource allocation

Economic evaluation- of new technologies and of impact of Smart Cities on population health status

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

Urban planning frameworks are necessary to ensure the initiatives required to create smart cities are successful. This theme will explore how technology and humans interact across housing, public spaces, workspaces, infrastructure and environment.

Technological advancements needed for the efficient functioning of cities should be integrated with appropriate planning mechanisms to ensure the best outcomes for equity, prosperity and health. Existing planning systems need to be reviewed and their ability to integrate new and smart technologies needs to be assessed so that it is sustainable and benefits the environment.

Broad objectives:
  • Planning: sustainable management of population growth & resource use
  • Suburban growth centres – 30 minute economy
  • Low and zero emission buildings and maintenance
  • Urban lungs: green canopy
Initial focus:

Report- Do best global practices in urban planning apply

Feasibility Study- What are the hurdles to overcome and to what extent is a data driven urban planning a near future reality

Economic evaluation- To what extent can data and data availability improve urban planning and what are the benefits

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

Governance and community engagement are essential to facilitating prosperous and sustainable cities but can also become politicised.

This theme will examine how governance can be improved within the smart cities context. It will focus on issues of accountability and transparency regarding government, industry and community partnerships. In particular, this theme will explore new forms of community participation in decision-making about urban issues.

Data can be obtained from existing and new data sources that are yet to be developed and used to provide information for decision-making. The scope is immense and covers areas such as research, planning, economic development, intelligent city services, comprehensive asset management, targeted service delivery and more responsive community safety.

Broad objectives:
  • Regulation: Privacy, data ownership and cyber security
  • Pro-active citizen engagement
  • Intelligent city services
Initial focus:

Report- Value Feedback from the people to improve the process of policy-making

Feasibility Study- Methods to facilitate e-participation of citizens

Economic modelling- Impact of collaboration and leadership on the growth of the economy

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

Smart cities technologies are growing rapidly and the dollar value of this growth means there is a lot at stake. The inter-connectivity across virtual and physical infrastructure that makes a smart city work are also vulnerable to significant cyber security risks which could result in crippling a city and even cause death.

This theme will examine the many cyber threats and how to protect critical infrastructure such as electricity and water supply from cyber threats. It will also look at how to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of data is protected. Active threat detection and prevention of cyber threats is essential to developing and monitoring smart cities.

Broad objectives:
  • Privacy and data security in Smart cities
  • Cyber threats and mitigation
  • Smart City Cyber resilience
  • Emergencies: Detect, predict and respond
  • Crime prevention and reduction
Initial focus:

Report- Best practices, intelligence management solution (City surveillance, incident detection & analysis)

Feasibility Study- Cost and public acceptance of security monitoring systems

Economic modelling- Cost of ubiquitous monitoring vs. results of crime prevention

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

Using values of cultural heritage as a foundation, this theme addresses the challenges that face cultural heritage management in rapid urban growth environments. Urban cultural heritage is fundamental to cities all over the world and the interpretation, management and conservation of such heritage is increasingly a matter of significant urgency for communities.

Smart Cities have tended to overlook these challenges, and in some cities, rapid urban growth can sit alongside sites of four thousand years of urban civilisation and overtake it if not properly protected and promoted. It is important that smart cities apply heritage-based planning protocols and consider how new technologies could support retaining and promoting the cultural heritage of the city locally and more broadly.

Broad objectives:

Investigating cities' development

  • Development led excavation
  • Excavating archaeological sites

Protecting and recording urban heritage

  • Heritage risk mapping
  • Monitoring condition and use of built heritage

Sustainable heritage and tourism

  • Smart monitoring of heritage sites
  • Mobile app development to enhance tourist experience
Initial focus:

Report- Best practices for assessment and management of cultural heritage within urban development zones

Feasibility Study- Developing heritage zones using sustainable infrastructure solutions

Economic modelling- Use of smart technology (augmented reality, mobile apps etc.) to enhance and capitalize upon cultural resources

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

Access to energy and clean water is vital to human well-being, yet rapid urbanisation creates significant challenges for securing reliable access to these critical resources for its residents. Moreover, the urbanisation and associated economic activities generate large amounts of waste and pollutants, further endangering the access to clean water.

Traditional water treatment technologies are energy intensive, making it hard to achieve a goal of supplying water and energy needs sustainably. Smart cities must offer opportunities to adopt technological solutions across the supply-chain including changing approaches to production/ supply, distribution and demand.

Broad objectives:
  • Bottom up: basic amenities for everyone
  • Pollution control
  • Feeding the nation: Scarcity vs. Irrigation
  • Food and water security
Initial focus:

Report- Best practices automating and integrating energy distribution subsystems

Feasibility Study- Mapping and Modelling of Water Distribution, Drainage and Waste Disposal Assets and Network

Economic modelling- Long term investment vs. benefits

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe

With an increasing global population, 69% more food calories will be needed to feed 9.6 billion people by 2050. Increases in food related illnesses along with the need for more nutritional food to feed a growing population is a looming global challenge.

Agri-food research and innovation systems will need to change the ways in which they work to meet these challenges in a world of limited resources and increasingly hostile production environment. This theme will work to translate knowledge from the laboratory to the rest of the world in all areas of food production.

Broad objectives:
  • Meeting global food demand
  • Infection and disease control
  • Sustainable agriculture
  • Climate change and impact on agriculture
Initial focus:

Report- Various industries spanning the agriculture and food supply chain from primary producers to consumers

Feasibility Study- Multi-disciplinary approaches to food security and agriculture spanning data, robotics, engineering, social sciences and agri-business

Economic modelling- Research training and collaboration in externally funded grants

Theme Leads from IIT Kanpur
Theme Leads from La Trobe
Theme Participants from IIT Kanpur
Theme Participants from La Trobe