Kick off your Smart City Journey: Lessons from Industry Experts

In our latest webinar, smart city expert Dr. Samudra Vijay shared practical insights on how municipalities can begin their smart city transformation without getting overwhelmed by technology or massive budgets.

Drawing from his 15+ years of experience in IT and operational technology, Dr. Vijay broke down common misconceptions about smart city initiatives. “You don’t need millions of dollars to get started,” he emphasized. “You could begin your smart city journey with just a few thousand dollars through carefully chosen pilot projects.”

Key takeaways from the session:

• Start with solving real problems, not implementing technology for its own sake
• Early stakeholder engagement is crucial for project success
• Begin with small pilot projects to demonstrate value quickly
• Use data to drive decisions and secure additional funding
• Focus on measuring concrete outcomes

The presentation featured several compelling case studies, including Morrisville’s award-winning smart city initiative and Jakarta’s integrated command center. Particularly interesting was the discussion of how smart technology helped one city address citizen complaints about landfill odors through strategic placement of air quality monitors.

During the Q&A session, participants raised thoughtful questions about ROI measurement, technology lifecycle management, and practical implementation challenges. Dr. Vijay provided candid insights about both the opportunities and pitfalls cities should consider.

What did you think of the webinar? Looking for specific topics you’d like covered in future sessions? Please share your feedback in this short survey below or send us an email info@varidx.io.

Want to learn more? The next webinar in this series will be held in March 2025. In the meantime, you can explore live data from current smart city implementations at app.varidx.io.