Smart cities and the Internet of Things have long since passed the stage of hype. The question is no longer whether cities will ever become truly smart or whether devices on the other side of the globe will be connected … it is simply a matter of time.

Go to databrokerdao.com to see the events we will be attending in the near future

We not only see this in the countless concrete initiatives that are emerging; it also becomes apparent in the numerous conferences on the subject that are held throughout the world. From Antwerp to Zaragoza, stakeholders gather to meet potential partners, to learn about new technologies, to discuss their needs, to brainstorm about solutions, and to discover what is already possible and what concrete projects have already been realized.

Earlier this year there was IoT Evolution Expo in Orlando (January 22–25), the IEEE 4th World Forum on Internet of Things in Singapore (February 5–8), Internet of Things World in Santa Clara (May 14–17) and — more recently and closer to home — IoT Tech Expo Europe in Amsterdam (June 27–28). The coming weeks and months we can prepare ourselves for the IoT Conclave 2018 in Dubai (July 30–31), Industry of Things World in Berlin (September 23–25), an international knowledge exchange platform bringing together more than 1,000 high-level executives who play an active role in the Industrial Internet of Things scene, the IoT India Congress in Bangalore (October 9–10), the IoT Solutions World Congress in Barcelona (October 16–18) and IoT Tech Expo North America in Santa Clara (November 28–29). And this list is far from complete, which shows us that there is a lot going on in the field of IoT and smart cities.

Where possible, DataBroker DAO tries to be at the center of the action, to keep a finger on the pulse of what is alive, to meet new partners and customers, to learn and to share our expertise with others. In April we were in Mallorca for the Smart Island World Congress, where we got an overwhelming response from the participating islands. In June we made our mark on the Internet of Things Convention in Antwerp. And later this year (November 13–15) we will once again be attending the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, which last year was a huge success.

At the Libelium Annual IoT Conference, which was recently held in Zaragoza (June 21–22), speakers concluded that interoperability and ecosystem are the keys for the growth of IoT. Coincidentally DataBroker DAO offers both an ecosystem and solutions regarding interoperability, building bridges through its marketplace and offering solutions through its alliance members.

There is a unique interaction between the IoT and smart cities on the one hand, and DataBroker DAO on the other. DataBroker DAO needs the Internet of Things and smart cities in order to keep growing and keep pushing its limits. Whereas smart cities need a player like DataBroker DAO, enabling them to not only acquire the necessary data for truly becoming a smart city but to sell the sensor data they collect themselves (traffic, pollution, …) to interested third parties as well, thus recuperating part of their investment costs.