Building Sustainable Communities Together at SCEWC 2023

More than 25,000 people came together to represent over 800 cities and 140+ countries last month at the Smart City Expo World Congress – the world’s biggest and most influential event on urban innovation. Attending and exhibiting at this global event is always an invigorating experience for the Itron team and a great opportunity to connect with thought leaders, policy makers and industry experts about cutting-edge ideas in smart city development. Keep reading for a recap of our main takeaways from this year’s event and how they align with Itron’s vision for a more resourceful world. 

Collaboration is key.  

Recent restrictions have reminded us that there is nothing quite like connecting in person for face-to-face conversations. At SCEWC, people from across the globe shared stories of their successes and failures in building communities of the future. During the conference, a city leader shared one piece of advice that stood out from the rest – he urged other leaders to resist the fear of failure. Embracing failure, he explained, can turn difficult experiences into valuable learning opportunities that lead to a successful next attempt. He also encouraged sharing the experience and learnings with others and to leverage the different perspectives offered by city stakeholders, technology partners and citizens. At Itron, we recognize the importance of collaboration both internally and externally, and we have the seasoned expertise to support the coordination, education and buy-in process along the way. This results in quicker deployment, reduced project costs, maximized return on investment and improved outcomes for communities.   

One size doesn’t always fit all.  

Every city has its own starting point, history, milestones and community goals which may not directly fit into a single technology pathway or solution – and that’s okay! A key to success is clearly articulating the use cases important, and then choosing solutions and partners that are flexible enough to create a tailored solution. This is where Itron and our diverse partner ecosystem come into play. We know the value of partnership, which is why Itron’s Partner Solution Marketplace provides access to our broad ecosystem of solutions that are helping critical infrastructure providers around the world expand the value of their multi-purpose IIoT networks. 

Cities and utilities are eager to improve quality of life for their communities. 

Key customer use cases of interest we heard throughout the conference include pedestrian counting and sharing this traffic data with local businesses to help inform staffing decisions; smart lighting and dimming to protect the native insect, bird and wildlife population; using smart lighting control to ensure safe (and appropriate) lighting levels on the streets, and much more. With Itron’s networked smart streetlights and a comprehensive Central Management System (CMS) like Streetlight.Vision in place, communities can leverage their infrastructure to address critical issues like heat island remediation, air quality improvements, traffic and pedestrian management while keeping the marginal costs to a minimum. As urbanization continues, smart street lighting can also help cities increase public safety, including making it safer for people to walk the streets and parks at night. Beginning with a proven anchor application like smart lighting provides cities and utilities with immediate operational and cost savings benefits along with greater flexibility for future smart city applications and growth.

Technology providers, just like their customers, need to operate with sustainability in mind.  

Ethical technology and the role that technology providers can play in improving sustainability was a common topic of discussion. This means designing for durability, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling to keep products, components and materials circulating in the economy. This also means responsibly implementing technologies, like smart lighting, that will make a direct impact on carbon reduction and sustainability initiatives. Legacy streetlights represent up to 30 to 40 percent of a city’s energy bill. With up to 50 percent energy savings and 20 percent operational savings to be gained through an LED upgrade with controls, smart street lighting is the ideal first step on the path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and becoming a smart and sustainable city. 

SCEWC 2023 was a confluence of ideas and insights that align closely with Itron's vision of advancing smart cities. The event underscored the importance of collaborative efforts and integrated solutions in shaping a more sustainable future. Our experience at this year’s conference reenergized our commitment to smart city development and inspired us to continue exploring the possibilities for more connected, livable and resilient communities across the globe.