As cities are pushed to meet climate targets, maintain ageing infrastructure and deliver responsive public services, the conversation around urban innovation has shifted from installing single sensors to unlocking systemic value from existing assets. A new virtual panel discussion, part of the leading 2026 international smart city summit, will focus on one of the most promising combinations: buildings, data and artificial intelligence. The session will explore how city leaders can move beyond pilot projects and adopt a more strategic, risk-based approach to infrastructure resilience, one that treats data as a core municipal asset rather than a technical add-on.
The premise is straightforward. Buildings are not simply physical structures; they are information-rich environments. Heating, ventilation, security, occupancy, energy use and even structural performance can be monitored in real time. When this data is connected to digital twins, analytics platforms and AI-driven decision support tools, it can support more efficient maintenance, lower operating costs, reduce emissions and improve the quality of life for residents and workers. For cities, the gains can be reinvested in public services and used to strengthen their resilience to shocks such as heatwaves, floods and power outages.
The panel will focus on the practical ways local authorities can unlock this value. That means addressing not only technology requirements, but also governance, procurement, skills and cybersecurity. It also means building confidence among citizens and applying AI responsibly, ensuring that algorithms do not reinforce existing inequalities. The session is expected to feature a range of urban practitioners and technology specialists who are already applying these methods.
A wider energy and infrastructure conversation
The benefits of combining building data and AI go far beyond the property boundary. A companion strand of the summit will examine how local authorities can shape energy systems through renewables, flexibility, storage and smarter networks. Cities are increasingly becoming active players in the energy transition, from issuing municipal solar schemes to retrofitting public buildings with heat pumps and engaging with grid operators on demand management.
Buildings can become flexible nodes in a local energy system. With smart meters and management systems, they can respond to price signals, shift load away from peak periods, and support grid stability. AI can forecast energy demand at a granular level and coordinate thousands of individual actions across a district. This is especially important as electric vehicles, electric heat and distributed generation change the shape of the urban energy load. Local authorities have a role to play in bringing these elements together, and in ensuring the benefits are accessible to those in fuel poverty or in less energy-efficient homes.
Sunderland’s long-term smart city strategy
The summit will also hear from cities that are already delivering measurable benefits. Sunderland’s smart city programme is a leading example of how long-term connectivity investment, civic leadership and trusted partnerships can turn digital ambition into real impact. Sunderland has developed a fibre network that serves businesses, schools and public buildings, creating a platform for new services in health, mobility and energy. It has also pioneered city-wide IoT and 5G infrastructure, alongside projects focused on low-carbon innovation and community inclusion.
Recent research into the programme shows that the benefits are tangible, covering economic growth, social outcomes and improved public services. But the case of Sunderland also illustrates that technology is only one element. Leadership, patience and collaboration are essential. The city has worked closely with business partners, investment bodies and community groups to ensure that the smart city programme is not just a collection of gadgets, but a long-term approach to local growth.
Leadership in Glasgow and the power of community
The importance of civic leadership in urban transformation is echoed in Glasgow. Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, will soon step down after nine years at the helm. During her tenure, she has described Glasgow as a global superpower of local climate action. Her time in office has been marked by an ambitious climate emergency plan, a focus on community wealth building, and efforts to improve housing and transport.
Aitken has often argued that leadership, courage and community are essential ingredients for a successful green transition. Digital technology and data have an important role, but they must be anchored in the needs of the people they serve. Glasgow has integrated its smart city activity into a broader environmental and social agenda, showing that data and AI can be used not only for efficiency, but also for fairness. Her exit is likely to prompt reflections on how much progress has been made and how much remains to be embedded in the city’s administrative DNA.
Dublin’s digital twin and mobility innovation
Dublin is another city using data and digital tools to transform public services. The city is developing digital twin projects that create virtual replicas of physical assets and urban systems. These models allow planners to test scenarios, predict maintenance needs and improve the quality of the environment. Dublin has also focused on traffic reduction, using data from roads, buses, bikes and pedestrians to inform a more sustainable mobility strategy.
These projects show a shift in how cities approach infrastructure. Instead of managing silos such as roads, parks, water or buildings separately, digital twins allow a more integrated view. Data from different departments can be combined with AI to better understand how one decision in one area affects another. Dublin’s innovation work is also intended to boost economic growth, attracting technology companies and skilled workers to a city that is active in the global smart city market.
Smart lighting and cybersecurity foundations
One of the most visible and rapidly evolving urban assets is the streetlight network. In recent episodes of a series on urban lighting, global experts have discussed how cities are approaching smart lighting and the related cybersecurity risks. Smart lighting is no longer only about energy efficiency; it is increasingly seen as a backbone for sensors, connectivity and public safety applications. But with increased connectivity comes a greater attack surface, so cybersecurity and interoperability must be designed from the start.
The technology and considerations behind converting existing streetlight networks into secure, interoperable and future-proof infrastructure were explored in detail. For many cities, streetlights are among the first assets to be given a digital layer, and their ubiquity makes them an ideal platform for urban IoT sensors. But this also means that cities need to think carefully about procurement, data sharing and vendor lock-in. These lessons apply just as strongly to buildings, energy systems and transport.
AI in transport and the data imperative
In transport, agencies are increasingly turning to AI to improve services. The opportunities, however, are not automatic. According to a technology executive from a global firm contributing to the summit conversation, the greatest potential will be unlocked when agencies have strong data foundations, workforce readiness and responsible governance. Without clean and well-governed data, AI systems cannot provide reliable recommendations. Without training and change management, front-line staff will not trust or use the insights. And without ethical safeguards, cities risk undermining public faith.
These factors are interlinked. Transport has long had access to large amounts of data, from ticket sales to traffic cameras, but this data is often fragmented. The task for cities is to build the pipelines and agreements that allow data to flow securely across agencies, while respecting privacy and security. AI can then be applied to everything from predictive maintenance of rail infrastructure and real-time traffic signal optimisation to passenger information and accessibility planning.
A wider ecosystem of practical solutions
Part of the value of a gathering such as the summit is the diversity of actors who take part. Ecomondo, a major event focused on green innovation, has discussed the priorities shaping healthier, more sustainable cities. Its representatives have noted that a platform like the 2026 summit offers an opportunity to share practical solutions and build new connections, across sectors and national boundaries.
This emphasis on ecosystem building matters because the challenges facing cities are interconnected. Energy, buildings, transportation, water, waste and digital infrastructure cannot be dealt with in isolation. AI and data are the languages through which these sectors can be brought together. But the political and institutional work is equally important. Cities need legal frameworks that support data-sharing, finance models that spread costs over long periods, and procurement rules that reward resilience and sustainability rather than lowest price.
The panel discussion on buildings, data and AI is therefore likely to be more than a technology update. It will be an opportunity to reflect on how cities are rethinking their role: from owners of assets to orchestrators of systems; from users of data to governors of data; from consumers of energy to managers of local energy systems. The key test will be whether they can do so in a way that creates real value for people and places, while preparing for future disruptions.
Through real-world examples in Sunderland, Glasgow, Dublin and elsewhere, the summit points to an emerging model of urban innovation. It is one that relies less on grand one-off demonstrations and more on sustained investment in the foundations of digital and physical infrastructure. It also depends on a willingness to learn from others, to tackle difficult governance questions, and to keep the focus on the public value at stake.
Source:Smart Cities World News