Local governments face a familiar challenge of needing to balance tight budgets and rate pressures, with rising community expectations for reliable infrastructure and rapid service delivery. In response, forward-thinking councils are turning to smart city technologies to optimise public assets, streamline maintenance, and improve resource allocation. At its core, a "smart city" is not about futuristic gimmicks or technology for its own sake. A smart city integrates connected digital technologies, such as sensors and data networks into physical public infrastructure to be more efficient, sustainable and liveable. By equipping assets like drainage networks, bins, vehicles, buildings, and public lighting with Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, councils can gather granular, real-time spatial data. This informs capital works planning, asset life-cycle management, predictive maintenance schedules, and resource allocation, which in turn helps infrastructure work smarter for both residents and businesses. Globally, several European cities have demonstrated the long-term dividends of early smart technology investments. Over a decade ago, Barcelona City Council deployed a comprehensive network of IoT sensors, including dynamic smart streetlighting, real-time soil moisture sensors in public parks, and fill-level sensors in municipal waste containers. Through these initiatives, they achieved a 25% decrease in park water use, saving approximately €425,000 annually, and a 30% reduction in energy use across their lighting network. Equally, Zurich has been ranked number one on the International Institute for Management Development’s Smart City Index for seven consecutive years. A pioneer in smart city innovation, Zurich has deployed dynamic streetlighting to reduce energy consumption, integrated public transport systems onto a single cohesive digital platform, and used real-time sensor data to improve traffic flow, waste management, and public services. Closer to home, local councils in Victoria are also leading the way in smart city innovation. At the City of Stonnington, their smart city journey began in 2020 with
Aug 26, 2026 · via ipwea.org
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Aug 25, 2026 · via youtube.com
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Aug 25, 2026 · via youtube.com
The air taxi revolution has a problem, and it's not the aircraft. Joby Aviation has flown from JFK to Manhattan in seven minutes. Archer Aviation has been named the official eVTOL provider for Belgrade's Expo 2027. FAA type certification is in the final stretch. The machines, against all odds, are nearly ready. The ground, however, is not. For electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to operate as commercial air taxis, they need somewhere to land, charge, and take off again—repeatedly, safely, and at scale. They need a new kind of airport. The industry calls them vertiports, and building them is turning out to be harder, more expensive, and more politically fraught than building the aircraft themselves. 🏚 Vertiports cost between $1M (basic retrofit) and $15M (flagship hub) ⚡ Fast-charging infrastructure is essential — aircraft need rapid turnaround 📢 Noise regulations remain a major hurdle despite eVTOLs being quieter than helicopters 💰 Funding models unclear — cities, operators, and developers all pointing at each other ✈ Joby flew JFK to Manhattan in 7 minutes; Archer signed for Belgrade Expo 2027 📋 Aircraft certification is ahead of infrastructure readiness in almost every market What Is a Vertiport, and Why Can't We Just Use Heliports? The simplest explanation: a vertiport is a heliport with a power outlet. But that dramatically understates the engineering challenge. Joby's prototype charging system is designed to deliver megawatt-class power. For context, a typical fast-charging station for electric cars delivers around 350 kilowatts. eVTOL charging requires three to four times that power, and a busy vertiport might need several chargers operating simultaneously. That means new power lines, upgraded transformers, and potentially on-site energy storage to buffer peak demand. Worse, there's no standardization yet. Joby's charging system is proprietary. Archer and Beta Technologies have started working on interoperability, but the
Aug 25, 2026 · via migflug.com
Remarks by Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa at the Sustainable Infrastructure Development Symposium South Africa 2026 (SIDSSA), Ministerial panel discussion: Reimagining municipal trading services – building financially sustainable cities through infrastructure investment, Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town 25 August 2026 Programme Director, Ministers and Deputy Ministers, Distinguished government leaders from South Africa and across the world, Representatives of Infrastructure South Africa, Mayors and municipal leaders, International development partners, Investors and development finance institutions, Industry leaders, Infrastructure experts, Organised business and labour, Professional bodies, Civil society, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen. Good day. It is a privilege to participate in this important discussion at SIDSSA 2026, particularly in the presence of government leaders, investors, infrastructure specialists and industry partners from South Africa and beyond. The diversity of this audience is important because the challenge before us cannot be addressed by government alone. The infrastructure challenges and opportunities facing our cities and municipalities require government, businesses, investors, development finance institutions, technical experts, and communities to work together around a common objective: building infrastructure that enables sustainable economic growth and improves the lives of our people. Our discussion on reimagining municipal trading services and building financially sustainable cities through infrastructure investment speaks directly to that challenge. It calls on us to look beyond the traditional understanding of municipal water, electricity, sanitation, waste management and related services as simply functions that municipalities must perform. We must understand these services as economic foundations upon which our cities and towns are built. When municipal services are consistently reliable, businesses can operate with greater certainty, industries can expand, investors can make long-term decisions and communities can participate more meaningfully in the economy. When municipal services are unreliable, the consequences extend far beyond the municipal balance sheet. They affect investment decisions, business confidence, productivity, employment, property values and the
Aug 25, 2026 · via gov.za
Grundfos-led roundtable at ISHRAE CoOL Conclave 3.0 identifies district cooling as a strategic enabler of energy security, sustainable urbanization, and net-zero growth COIMBATORE, India, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As India experiences unprecedented urban growth, rising temperatures, and increasing demand for cooling, industry leaders, policymakers, urban planners, utilities, developers, academics, and sustainability experts convened at ISHRAE CoOL Conclave 3.0 in Coimbatore to discuss one critical question: how can India secure its cooling future while continuing its path towards sustainable growth and Viksit Bharat 2047? The answer that emerged repeatedly throughout the discussion was clear: district cooling must play a significantly larger role in India's future urban infrastructure strategy. The roundtable, hosted and moderated by Grundfos, brought together stakeholders from across the cooling ecosystem under the theme 'Accelerating Net Zero Cities of the Future: The Role of District Cooling in India'. Participants agreed that cooling can no longer be viewed simply as a building-level technology choice. It must be recognized as essential infrastructure that underpins economic productivity, public health, urban resilience, and long-term energy security. India's cooling demand is growing rapidly, driven by economic development, urbanisation, increasing living standards, and the expansion of new cities and industrial corridors. Participants noted that cooling demand is expected to continue rising for decades, creating significant pressure on electricity infrastructure and peak power requirements. While India has made remarkable progress in expanding renewable energy capacity, particularly solar power, the discussion highlighted the growing challenge of meeting cooling demand during evening and nighttime periods when solar generation is unavailable. A recurring theme throughout the roundtable was that energy security and cooling security are becoming inseparable national priorities. Participants emphasized that securing reliable, affordable, and sustainable cooling for homes, businesses, campuses, hospitals, commercial developments, and future cities will be essential to sustaining India's growth ambitions. The conversation
Aug 25, 2026 · via prnewswire.com
Dive Brief: - Eligible customers of Atlantic City Electric, Jersey Central Power & Light, Public Service Electric & Gas and Rockland Electric could receive up to $200/kW per year over a 10-year term to dispatch energy stored in small-scale batteries during periods of grid stress under a procurement proposed last week by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. - The proposal targets up to 150 MW of behind-the-meter energy storage capacity that can reliably discharge during dispatch events called by the four electric distribution companies, which will administer capacity enrolled in their service territories. The BPU will host a virtual stakeholder meeting on Sept. 3 to solicit feedback. - The procurement is the first capacity block of the second phase of the Garden State Energy Storage Program, a statutory framework that requires New Jersey to deploy 2 GW of bulk and distributed energy storage capacity by 2030. The BPU is halfway to meeting that goal after procuring a combined 1 GW of transmission-connected storage in the program’s two-block first phase earlier this year. Dive Insight: In a statement, BPU President Ben Hertz-Shargel tied the Aug. 17 proposal to an executive order signed by Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill shortly after taking office on Jan. 20. It directed the BPU to issue solicitations for new solar and storage capacity and to begin developing a virtual power plant program open to third-party energy suppliers. “The Garden State Energy Storage Program advances Governor Sherrill’s Executive Order No. 2 by growing energy storage deployments in-state to meet growing energy demand while improving affordability and resilience,” Hertz-Shargel said. Residential and small commercial batteries would be eligible to participate in a temporary, technology-neutral VPP program that will begin next year and run for two years before transitioning into a market-based, open-access VPP tariff in 2029, the
Aug 25, 2026 · via utilitydive.com
Dive Brief: - As manufacturers look to adopt and deploy robotics, many are moving faster than their operating models can support, according to a survey commissioned by Intel of 800 business and IT leaders, robotics specialists and government and healthcare officials around the world. - The research found a “stark disconnect” in that seven in 10 senior manufacturing leaders expect their organization to have a fleet of robots in the next five years, but roughly four in 10 have a formal strategy to manage a mixed workforce of humans and robots. - Unclear ownership of a robotics strategy across the organization could be a contributing factor to the 26% preparedness gap in manufacturing. The study, conducted by Man Bites Dog and Coleman Parkes Research, also identified gaps related to workforce skills, safety, form factor and scaling of robotics. Dive Insight: For decades, the role of robots was relatively simple. They were fixed machines with fixed tasks and fixed environments. But as technologies have evolved, powered by advancements in artificial intelligence, edge computing and real-time software, the industry is entering a “new phase of intelligent robots that can sense, reason and act,” John Healy, Intel’s vice president and general manager of industrial and robotics, said in the report. “This move from repetition to interaction is changing the role of robotics entirely,” he said. “It also exposes an uncomfortable truth: most organizations are unprepared.” Across industries, companies are moving beyond experimentation and beginning to embed robotics into their daily operations. However, Healy pointed out that many are building on antiquated foundations from a pre-autonomy era, including systems that weren’t designed to adapt and teams that were never trained to manage machines that learn. “Robots need to be able to perform under pressure, and this takes more than a breakthrough in AI,” he
Aug 25, 2026 · via manufacturingdive.com
Tuesday’s Headlines Are a High Facts Zone Low-emissions zones work, but public backlash makes some politicians reluctant to embrace them. By Blake Aued 12:01 PM EDT on August 25, 2026 Blake Aued has been doing Streetsblog's daily national news digest for years. He's also an Atlanta Braves fan, which enrages his editor in New York. Read More: Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org. More from Streetsblog USA Wednesday’s Headlines Ride in Style Amtrak's new trains sound like a win-win for passengers and the environment. August 26, 2026 Philadelphia Figured Out to Stop Double Parking — Will Other Cities Follow Suit? Philadelphia's automated enforcement pilot has reduced double parking and cleared loading zones for commercial vehicles in the year since it launched. August 24, 2026 Monday’s Headlines Were Born in a Small Town When it comes to federal transit funding, small cities get more bang for the buck than big ones. August 24, 2026 Friday’s Headlines: Streetcars Get Mixed Reviews As Omaha builds a downtown streetcar line, how have similar projects in other cities panned out? August 21, 2026 New Report Underscores Success of Speed Cameras in Oakland Speeding is down at camera locations. But advocates caution against relying too much on cameras without concrete infrastructure August 20, 2026
Aug 25, 2026 · via usa.streetsblog.org
Before the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this month that it was providing electric shock gloves to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the technology known as Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter — or GLOVE — was relatively obscure. Very few municipal law enforcement agencies use the gloves, Seth Stoughton, a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law, affiliate professor in the university’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and faculty director of the Excellence in Policing and Public Safety Program, told Smart Cities Dive. Stoughton, a former officer with the Tallahassee, Florida, police department, outlined why the gloves aren’t commonly used in street policing and the questions municipal agencies should ask before buying them. Editor’s note: The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. SMART CITIES DIVE: Is this a technology municipal police departments are interested in? SETH STOUGHTON: I'm actually not aware of any police agencies that issue these gloves. The only agencies that I'm aware of that use them are sheriff's offices that run jails or other correctional facilities. The gloves inevitably involve a lot of limitations and raise a lot of potential questions about their use in police interactions. What are the drawbacks for street policing? It's most natural to compare this glove with a Taser. It is a type of what police call a CEW, a conductive electrical weapon, or an ECD, an electronic control device. There are a couple of different names, but the basic idea is it uses electricity to inflict pain. Tasers, as the leading ECD, are generally considered, and in many places legally considered, to be appropriate for use only when officers are defending themselves or someone else against a physical threat. So, if someone is resisting in a way that does not actually physically
Aug 25, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
The facility incorporates robotic technology and Industry 4.0 automation
Pratap Group has inaugurated two new manufacturing facilities in Madhya Pradesh for advanced optical fibre and battery energy storage systems (BESS) and lithium-ion solutions, with a cumulative investment of ₹8,500 crore.
The first facility, Corsis Industries, is an advanced optical fibre manufacturing plant focused on supporting India’s digital infrastructure. The facility will manufacture optical fibre cables for applications including broadband connectivity, 5G networks, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), data centres, smart cities, defence, and other critical communication systems.
The second facility, Voltters Technologies, has commenced production of BESS and lithium-ion battery solutions. The facility incorporates robotic technology and Industry 4.0 automation to support advanced battery manufacturing.
Gurugram-headquartered Pratap Group operates across optical fibre, battery solutions, and turnkey project execution. The company has also expanded its involvement in India’s telecom infrastructure through projects with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).
In March, the company signed an ₹8,025-crore contract with BSNL to design, build, operate, and maintain a middle-mile network under BharatNet Phase 3 across three packages covering Rajasthan, Haryana, and Assam.
Earlier, in February, Pratap Group secured the Odisha and Andhra Pradesh packages under BSNL’s 4G Saturation programme as an infrastructure-as-a-service provider.
Aug 24, 2026 · via electronicsforyou.biz
London, United Kingdom–(Newsfile Corp. – August 24, 2026) – Gorilla Technology Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GRRR) (“Gorilla” or the “Company”), a global solution provider in Security Intelligence, Network Intelligence, Business Intelligence, IoT technology and data centres, today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2026. Gorilla delivered a significant acceleration in revenue and a marked sequential improvement in reported operating performance during the second quarter. The outperformance was principally driven by earlier-than-anticipated delivery across multiple contracted customer programmes, enabling the Company to recognize the associated revenue ahead of its original expectations. This was complemented by continued execution across Gorilla’s broader portfolio. Financial highlights - H1 revenue nearly doubled: Revenue increased 99.3% to approximately US$78.4 million, compared with US$39.3 million in H1 2025. Growth was driven by the scaling of Gorilla’s AI infrastructure and data-centre programmes, alongside continued delivery across its security intelligence, network intelligence and smart-city operations, including Egypt, Taiwan and Thailand. - Reported and adjusted operating performance: Gorilla reported an IFRS operating loss of approximately US$47.2 million for H1 2026, compared with US$9.1 million in H1 2025. The 2026 results included approximately US$25.4 million of stock-based compensation expense, US$4.0 million of downward fair-value measurement effects, US$2.0 million of debt-transaction costs and US$0.3 million of acquisition-related expenses. Adjusted EBITDA was a loss of approximately US$14.6 million, compared with adjusted EBITDA of approximately US$6.2 million in H1 2025. - Reported and adjusted net result: Gorilla reported an IFRS net loss of approximately US$46.9 million for H1 2026, compared with US$8.5 million in H1 2025. Adjusted net loss was approximately US$15.6 million, or US$0.58 per share, compared with adjusted net income of approximately US$6.3 million, or US$0.32 per share, in H1 2025. - Operating cash efficiency improved year on year: Net cash used in operating activities declined by
Aug 24, 2026 · via investors.gorilla-technology.com
A year ago, at MRO Golfo Centro, we put two electric vehicles to the test to understand how they could be integrated into highway patrol operations. Today, that pilot has become a new operational reality: since June 2026, eight Renault Kangoo E-Tech vehicles have been carrying out 100% of the project’s patrol and roadside assistance activities. The transition marks a concrete step toward more sustainable mobility, but it also presents a challenge that goes far beyond replacing a combustion-engine vehicle with an electric one. In an operation that runs 24/7/365 and covers 142 kilometers across Veracruz, Puebla, Hidalgo and the State of Mexico, electric mobility must meet the same standards of availability, safety and efficiency as any other operational vehicle. From testing an alternative to integrating it into operations The pilot launched in 2025 provided an opportunity to assess the performance of electric vehicles under real working conditions and understand what was needed to take the solution further. Building on that experience, and through a strategic collaboration with Renault and Weg, MRO Golfo Centro moved toward a fully electric operation for its patrol and roadside assistance activities. The transition also meant preparing the team for a new way of working. The employees involved received specific training on vehicle use and charging, incorporating this knowledge into the day-to-day dynamics of the operation. The project shows that innovation can be progressively integrated into everyday activities by learning from experience and adapting solutions to the real needs of the field. Putting Egis expertise into action Making this transition possible required bringing together knowledge and experience from different areas of Egis. Linda Carrasquedo, Project Engineer in our Energy and Sustainable Cities Business Line, led the initiative and the relationship with Renault to explore and develop the collaboration. Her experience in green mobility and sustainability
Aug 24, 2026 · via egis-group.com
The next version of the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1 standard for energy efficiency in new commercial buildings won’t have greenhouse gas-related addenda that were added last year, reflecting a shift among the standards-writing organizations to refocus the standard on its core mission. “Standard 90.1 will maintain its primary focus on energy efficiency and energy cost justified requirements,” AHRAE said in announcing the change last month. The standard, which provides minimum requirements for energy-efficient design and construction of new sites and buildings and their systems, as well as criteria for determining compliance with these requirements, serves as a key benchmark for commercial building energy codes in the U.S. and around the world. Addenda M and N, which the organizations added last year to provide standards on curbing greenhouse gas emissions, will remain as part of an optional publication, giving jurisdictions “a template for … reducing operational emissions [and using] renewable energy,” ASHRAE said. Splitting off greenhouse-gas reductions as optional addenda enables the standard to “respond to emerging market needs without losing sight of the proven energy efficiency principles at the heart of Standard 90.1,” ASHRAE President Sarah Maston said in a statement. Standard 90.1 was released in the 1970s and is officially known as the Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings. It’s updated on a three-year cycle, with the next versions slated for 2028 and 2031. Adding the emission-related addenda last year and then making them optional this year reflects shifting priorities of stakeholders, including the U.S. Department of Energy, which is part of the standards-writing committee. “Are they telling us what to do on this or that? No,” Tom Culp, a Wisconsin-based building glass expert and co-vice-chair of the Standard 90.1 committee, told Facilities Dive. But “one of the mantras [we have as a committee] is ‘transparency, affordability and choice’
Aug 24, 2026 · via facilitiesdive.com
Frisco, Texas, added indoor mapping of its city buildings in 2008 to improve emergency response, but it’s now using it for a range of benefits, according to an information technology expert who helped create the program. The Situational Awareness for Emergency Response, or SAFER, program was conceived as a way to provide first responders with school floor plans to better ensure the safety of students in emergencies. Built on a geographic information system foundation, it provides emergency responders, control staff and dispatch with a common operating picture that includes access to critical incident information at school buildings. The system uses pre-plan documents for specific schools, including up-to-date contact information for administrations. Floor plans include visual data like room names and numbers, the location of nurses’ offices and administration areas, where hazardous chemicals are stored and roof access. It also integrates facility video cameras represented on floor plans with a hyperlink, enabling live video stream access, the city says on its website. Implementation required significant work from the city’s IT team to perform hardware upgrades and installation, software development, integration development and the creation of training material and documentation, the city says. As it began to see benefits from indoor mapping, the city expanded the program to other facilities, combining it with ArcGIS Field Maps and other ArcGIS technology from Esri, and now maintains real-time building data with complete indoor mapping of over 200 facilities. This includes hospitals, the corporate headquarters of the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys, their mall and event venues. “It integrates over 30 different disparate systems into one geospatial platform, so [emergency responders] have a really good view of what’s going on for emergency response,” Susan Benedicto, the city’s assistant director of information technology for geospatial solutions, told Facilities Dive. “But a lot of the data that
Aug 24, 2026 · via facilitiesdive.com
China Railway Signal & Communication (3969) H1 2026 earnings summary Event summary combining transcript, slides, and related documents. H1 2026 earnings summary 24 Aug, 2026 Executive summary - Operating revenue for H1 2026 was RMB14.08 billion, down 3.98% year-over-year, with net profit attributable to shareholders at RMB1.47 billion, down 9.07%. - Railway sector revenue grew 2.75% year-over-year, while urban rail and overseas revenues declined 14.85% and 12.44%, respectively. - Orders in hand (excluding municipal housing construction) reached RMB51.60 billion at period end. - Newly signed contracts totaled RMB17.72 billion, up 0.84% year-over-year, with notable growth in urban rail and low-altitude economy sectors. Financial highlights - Gross margin for rail transit control systems was 31.67%; equipment manufacturing margin was 38.61%. - Net cash flow from operating activities improved to -RMB807 million from -RMB4.41 billion in H1 2025, mainly due to reduced payments to suppliers. - R&D investment rose to RMB915 million, 6.5% of revenue, up 0.71 percentage points year-over-year. - Basic EPS was RMB0.14, down from RMB0.15 in H1 2025. Outlook and guidance - Focus remains on expanding the rail transit, low-altitude economy, smart cities, and intelligent operations sectors. - The company aims to stabilize new construction, expand renovation and maintenance markets, and accelerate model replication in low-altitude infrastructure. - Continued exit from municipal housing construction and emphasis on optimizing business structure.
Aug 24, 2026 · via quartr.com
Shaping India's Urban Future Through AI, Safety & Intelligent Mobility NewsVoir New Delhi [India], August 24: The 4th Safe City & Intelligent Mobility India Summit 2026 successfully concluded today in New Delhi, bringing together senior policymakers, law enforcement leaders, urban planners, technology innovators, and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of safer, smarter, and more sustainable cities in India. Commenting on the occasion, Shri Shashi Dharan, Managing Director, Bharat Exhibitions, said, 'The 4th Safe City & Intelligent Mobility India Summit 2026 reflects India's growing commitment to leveraging technology, innovation, and collaboration to build safer, smarter, and more connected cities. By bringing together policymakers, law enforcement agencies, urban planners, and technology leaders on a common platform, we aim to accelerate the adoption of intelligent mobility solutions and advanced public safety frameworks that will shape the future of urban India.' Guest of Honour, Shri A. Satish Ganesh, IPS, ADG, Traffic & Road Safety, Uttar Pradesh Police who graced the Summit highlighted in his speech, 'The future of road safety lies in the intelligent integration of technology, enforcement, and public awareness. Together, we can create safer, smarter, and more sustainable urban mobility ecosystems for every citizen. Technology today is pan India, no doubt, so we have to leverage this and take it ahead,' Joining him, Shri Nidhin Valsan, IPS, DIG, Technology & Project Implementation, Delhi Police, also stressed the need for greater collaboration between law enforcement, government agencies, and technology providers to build safer cities and enhance citizen security through intelligent surveillance and digital policing solutions. In his industry address, Dr. Sumit D. Chowdhury, Founder, Chairman & MD, Gaia Smart Cities underscored the importance of citizen-centric urban innovation, stating that smart cities of the future must integrate mobility, sustainability, digital infrastructure, and public safety into a unified framework. Another speaker, Mr. M.A. Johar,
Aug 24, 2026 · via bignewsnetwork.com
Dive Brief: - As cybersecurity incidents proliferate across municipalities, the National League of Cities is teaming up with CyberAlliance to provide cybersecurity risk assessments for local governments and strategies to improve resilience. CyberAlliance is a U.S.-based cybersecurity company serving public-sector organizations. - The program will provide access to workshops, cyber benchmarking and CyberAlliance’s AI-powered cyber intelligence platform, called Sally AI. - The program comes amid uncertain local government resources after the Trump administration last year axed federal funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a cybersecurity resource municipalities had used since 2003. Dive Insight: Local government leaders have described the MS-ISAC program as “critical” to their cybersecurity operations and advocated for restored federal funding. Cybersecurity incidents among municipalities surged 42% in 2025, and state CIOs say they’re losing confidence in their ability to protect critical public-sector data amid the rising threats. High-profile cybersecurity incidents this summer have crippled municipal operations in Minnesota, California and Washington, D.C. Experts have credited the surge in incidents to attackers’ increased use of AI, and some have advocated for cities to deploy AI to help prevent them. A coalition of local government organizations sent a letter to Congress in June urging lawmakers to allocate $300 million for the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program in fiscal 2027. “As state and local governments continue to face persistent threats from nation-state actors, ransomware groups, and other cybercriminals, sustained federal investment remains essential to ensuring every community has access to baseline cybersecurity capabilities,” the letter stated.
Aug 24, 2026 · via smartcitiesdive.com
For solid waste operators, environmental performance has always been essential. What’s shifting now is its central place in core business strategy. Regulatory standards are tightening, and disposal options are getting trickier to navigate. Legacy infrastructure, emerging contaminants, and changing site dynamics continuously add new operational strains. Meanwhile, environmental factors are weighing much heavier on capital allocation, investment strategy and the long-term value of assets. The takeaways are clear: environmental performance is stepping beyond basic regulatory compliance to become a primary operational and business driver. New research from Onterris, conducted alongside FT Longitude (a Financial Times company), examines this transition. The study surveyed 500 senior executives across asset- and resource-heavy industries—including solid waste and resource management—throughout North America, Europe and Oceania. The data poses a critical question for waste management leaders: How ready is your team to turn environmental hurdles into smarter business choices? Compliance is the Starting Point, Not the Destination Solid waste operators handle an exceptionally intricate regulatory and operational environment. Evolving regulations and liability risks around PFAS, stricter methane monitoring, and state-level mandates for organics and circular economy practices are constantly raising the bar. Day to day, teams are also tackling tough leachate disposal demands, aging landfill systems, elevated temperature events, and severe weather risks. Handling these friction points in silos might keep you compliant. But integrating environmental data, site engineering, daily operations, and capital planning does much more: it empowers leaders to foresee risks and act before a regulatory hiccup turns into a costly operational crisis. That distinction is everything. The Onterris study highlights that environmental strategy is now tightly linked to capital access, overall competitiveness and major investments across heavy industries. Still, the solid waste sector faces distinct hurdles. The findings show the industry lags behind peers in environmental maturity, with more companies missing environmental targets
Aug 24, 2026 · via wastedive.com