Are Real-Time Data Platforms the Foundation of the City of 2040?
On June 15, 2026, representatives of IoT Squad participated in the Future Lab Session organized by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), focused on the role of artificial intelligence in the future of cities and everyday life. The workshop brought together experts from local governments, technology companies, academia, and infrastructure operators to explore future urban development scenarios and identify practical directions for innovation.
One of the most interesting conclusions developed by our working group was that the foundation of future smart cities will not be artificial intelligence alone.
Instead, the key enabler of urban transformation will be the ability to integrate, govern, process, and utilize data in real time.
At the center of this vision is the concept of a Real-Time Urban Data Platform — a common data layer integrating information from public administration, mobility and transportation systems, energy networks, environmental monitoring, public safety systems, and IoT infrastructure.
Such a platform could provide the foundation for a new generation of urban services, enabling advanced analytics, AI-powered decision support, process automation, and more responsive public services. Rather than relying exclusively on historical reports, cities would be able to operate based on continuously updated situational awareness.
The discussion also highlighted several challenges that cities will need to address in the coming years. These include interoperability between systems, secure data sharing across organizations, regulatory frameworks for AI, and sustainable financing models for digital transformation initiatives.
From the IoT Squad perspective, the conversation reinforced an important observation: the future of Smart City is not only about collecting more data but about making data usable across organizational and technological boundaries.
As cities continue their digital transformation journey, Real-Time Urban Data Platforms may become one of the key building blocks enabling the next generation of AI-driven urban services.
We would like to thank PARP and all participants for the inspiring discussions and collaborative work on future city scenarios.
More information about the event:
https://www.parp.gov.pl/component/parpevents/event/3845
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