Smart Cities Connect Media and Research, a division of TechConnect, opened applications for the seventh annual Smart 50 Awards, which celebrates the most innovative and influential smart municipal and regional-scale projects in the world.

“Each project showcases unique elements in unique communities, and that’s what makes it all so fascinating; but what they have in common is a commitment to utilize data in meaningful ways that improve quality of life for residents,” said Laura Murphree, Smart Cities Connect Media & Research Managing Editor. “We aren’t necessarily looking for anything fancy or expensive, though those projects do bubble up. We’re mostly interested in impact, and we can’t wait to see what everyone has been up to over the last 12 months.”

In 2022, 30% of all winning projects assisted with urban operations, 26% supported improved mobility, and another 26% featured digital transformation. Eligible focus areas span all aspects of municipal communities, including but not limited to: public policy, funding, inclusion, governance, data, AI, sensors, Internet of Things, cyber security, privacy, blockchain, public transportation, autonomous transit, mobility, rideshare, networks, 5G, utilities, energy, grid, lighting, water and wastewater, public safety, emergency response, and sustainability.

TechConnect and a robust community of government leaders, solution providers, technology scouts, and media will celebrate the winners and award recipients in-person at an awards reception on May 15, 2023 in Denver, Colorado, co-located with Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo. Attendees will enjoy exclusive networking with awardees and other change-makers. Smart Cities Connect will announce three winning projects out of the 50 total awardees. The three winners represent the highest echelon of smart city achievement.

For more information about this Challenge, to enter by the February 24 deadline, and to view a list of 2022 winners, visit https://spring.smartcitiesconnect.org/Smart50Awards/. To attend the Smart 50 Awards Reception and meet the 2023 awardees in May, visit https://spring.smartcitiesconnect.org/register.html.