Urban development has come a long way from merely constructing buildings and laying roads. The advent of technology has sparked a revolution in how we imagine and shape our cities. Leading the charge in this new era of urban development is Barcelona, a city that artfully balances its rich cultural heritage with groundbreaking innovation.
A recent feature on TechApps takes readers through the transformative journey of Barcelona as it forges a path towards becoming a leading smart city. Even as it remains a treasure trove of Gothic architecture and Gaudí’s masterpieces, Barcelona is steadfastly integrating cutting-edge technology into its urban infrastructure. The city is boldly pioneering new ways to make urban living more sustainable, efficient, and citizen-centric.
Read more: ES: Barcelona: A Smart City Evolution Inspired by Heritage and Technology
Madrid is rolling out the largest intelligent waste monitoring solution ever implemented in a major city. The idea behind the program is to optimise waste collection and thus reduce waste-related issues such as air pollution, noise and traffic jams.
Slovakian startup Sensoneo, a specialist in intelligent waste management, is inaugurating its largest ever system in Madrid, in collaboration with local authorities. A total of 11,100 sensors will be progressively installed in waste receptacles, whether dedicated to light packaging, textiles, glass, organic waste or general waste. They are intended to monitor the level of waste in each bin.
Read more: ES: Madrid: Big city waste collection is set to get smarter
- The use case consists of communicating between several drones in flight, as well as with different connected urban elements, in order to make a correct delivery of a package to a mobile collection point.
- This project is part of the Telefónica 5G Madrid proposal within the call for 5G grants from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation through Red.es, co-financed with FEDER funds.
- To carry out this project, Telefónica has counted with Correos as the recipient of the use case and with the collaboration of Gradiant, Ericsson and Genasys.
- For the first time, several innovative technologies have been combined, namely 5G, C-V2X communications (the same used in the connected car), RTK technology and mobile location.
Read more: ES: Telefónica makes 5G communication between drones and Smart City
The pilot project will try to deliver parcels virtually anywhere in the cities, even hard-to-reach spots without an address
A collaborative pilot project between Correos (The Spanish state postal services) and Telefónica, one of the major telecom providers in the country, will test the usage of 5G-connected drones to deliver parcels to virtually any urban environment.
Read more: The Spanish postal services begin experimenting with 5G drone deliveries
From technology testing and vehicle production to networking and nurturing start-ups, it's all happening in this region in northeastern Spain.
Spain’s Catalonia region is keen to position itself at the heart of new mobility innovation and exploration. Its curriculum vitae is not lacking: a long history of vehicle manufacturing, global headquarters for the SEAT and Cupra brands, a host of modern circuits and test tracks, more than 20 automotive-related R&D centres, several universities, and a growing number of trade fairs place it competitively on the world’s stage. But is this enough to secure it a leading position in CASE (connected, autonomous, shared, and electric) mobility development?