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U.S. gov't announces 160-mln-USD investment for "Smart Cities" initiative

Xinhua, September 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

The U.S. government on Monday announced a 160-million-U.S.-dollar investment in federal research on how to tackle challenges such as reducing traffic congestion and improving city services as part of its efforts to support a new initiative called "Smart Cities."

The investment will help create test beds for "Internet of Things," a ubiquitous network of connected devices, smart sensors and big data analytics, the White House said in a statement, adding that the country has the opportunity to be "a global leader" in this field.

Continued population growth and urbanization worldwide also present "a significant export opportunity" for smart cities-related U.S. products and services, since almost 90 percent of this increase will occur in Africa and Asia, the statement said.

As part of the initiative, the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and Technology will provide more than 35 million dollars in new grants and over 10 million dollars in proposed investments to build a research infrastructure for smart cities.

Other federal agencies including the Department of Transportation will provide nearly 70 million dollars in new spending and over 45 million dollars in proposed investments to unlock new solutions in safety, energy, climate preparedness, transportation, health and more. Endit