By Laura Hyde |
Microsoft will join selected partners at Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona, Spain, from 4-6 November 2025 to discuss how cities around the world can use AI technology to build future-ready digital infrastructure and modern ecosystems.
In a blog post on the Microsoft website, Doug Priest, public transportation and urban infrastructure lead for worldwide government at Microsoft, shares a number of examples showcasing how cities are using AI to move from reactive planning to proactive resilience, as highlighted in the latest Smart Cities World Trend Report, developed in collaboration with Microsoft.
Flooding has long posed a threat to residents of Jakarta, Indonesia, but the Jakarta Smart City programme partnered with SAS to deploy an AI-powered analytics platform able to forecast flood risks up to six hours in advance. The platform uses data from rainfall sensors, river gauges and weather services to enable authorities to close floodgates, activate pumps and issue alerts through the JAKI app before disaster strikes.
In the midwestern US states of Kansas and Missouri, AI has enabled Evergy, a public utility company, to automate over 275 processes, including power line inspections and data extraction, and save more than 120,000 hours annually using Microsoft Power Platform. These solutions are also supporting Evergy’s transition to cleaner energy generation.
The Société du Canal de Provence (SCP) is tackling water stress in southern France with its Microsoft Azure powered REImu programme, which uses sensors, smart meters and data platforms to monitor consumption, detect leaks and forecast demand. The system, which covers a 6,000-kilometre distribution network, also uses meteorological and agricultural data to provide adaptive irrigation advice.
In Germany, the Stadtwerke München municipality is using Microsoft Azure IoT and Azure AI to forecast energy demand, reduce waste and optimise electric bus operations across the city of Munich, where 90 per cent of electricity already comes from renewable sources. AI is helping the city move closer to full carbon neutrality.
Discussions at SCEWC will centre on the theme ‘the time for cities’, with a focus on AI as a key asset capable of accelerating the transformation of cities into more sustainable, efficient and liveable spaces.
“The journey toward resilient, sustainable infrastructure is underway, and AI is at the heart of it,” writes Priest. “Used responsibly, AI can democratise resilience, making forecasting affordable and accessible, reducing bias in decision-making, and ensuring that infrastructure serves all communities equitably. From Jakarta to Kansas City, from Provence to Munich, these cities are showing what’s possible when technology meets purpose.”