Research needs for disruptive technologies in smart cities

Abstract

Internet of things (IoT) is one of the current disruptive technologies that is considered one of the most promising and widely discussed topics in connection with Smart City implementations. However, the IoT revolution comes along with other so-called disruptive technologies. Making sense of the data gathered through sensors comes along with discussions of AI, Big Data, Machine Learning and other such technological advancements. While a number of projects already address current challenges of exploiting such technological advancements in digital government, the full scope of deploying the disruptive technologies in smart city initiatives requires more research. This paper therefore aims at investigating research needs in successfully implementing and deploying disruptive technologies in smart cities. The paper first analyses existing EU-funded projects concerning the research needs these projects address and/or put forward. Subsequently, a future scenario is developed to demonstrate the potentials of using disruptive technologies in smart cities. Finally, nine research needs (technical and nontechnical) derived from the comparison of existing research needs from the projects and from the future scenario.