IoT, Smart Cities, Services, and Government

Advances in digital technology has culminated in new, and more sophisticated, nuanced forms of services. The Internet of Things (IoT) is one such digital technology that, by making the world around us more connected and responsive, has spawned unique service innovations that blur the lines between the digital and physical worlds. IoT refers to the network of internet-connected physical devices or “things” that collect and exchange data via actuators, embedded sensors, software, or other technologies. Combining artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, and mobile technologies, these devices span from individual wearables to intelligent household appliances to cutting-edge industrial applications that enable seamless communication between people, processes, and things. With the proliferation of connected IoT devices, the data generated by these devices is growing exponentially, opening up enticing research avenues on techniques to collect, store, model, process, analyze, apply, and secure the massive volume of data in order to generate insights that will steer the development of smart services. It is therefore not unsurprising that IoT is anticipated to have a significant impact on the increasingly service-based economy by revolutionizing business strategies, operations, security, service provision, supply chains, and numerous other facets of digital servicing.

In conjunction with the rise of smart services, the prevalence of digital government and smart cities is rapidly increasing. The term “smart city” refers to an urban environment where citizens’ daily activities (work, school, safety, and leisure) are significantly enhanced above prior standards due to the implementation of modern information technologies. These enhancements span various aspects, including economic, governmental, and sociopolitical, among others. In this regard, deriving and gaining insights into how cities can extract value from context-aware data gathered via digital technologies (e.g., IoT) for both citizens and governments has become crucial for developing the capacity to swiftly respond to and recover from unanticipated events such as the global COVID-19 pandemic. With the digitization of governments globally, new forms of value co-creation in citizen participation and service development and delivery are emerging within and across individuals and governments.

Track Co-Chairs
Martin Santana, Ph.D., ESAN University
Jan Marco Leimeister, Ph.D., University of St.Gallen
Satish Krishnan, Ph.D., Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode