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3 to 5 Nov 2026The City of Edinburgh Council has announced its Digital and Smart City Strategy for 2024-2027, focusing on advancing digital infrastructure to support economic growth, enhance public service delivery, and improve sustainability. The main initiatives planned include:
- Smart City Initiatives: The Council will continue to develop its existing infrastructure, including the SI360 data platform, which consolidates sensor data. This strategy aims to strengthen urban management and drive better decision-making through data integration, without adding additional bin sensors or environmental sensors.
- Enhanced Connectivity: The Council is working toward expanding full-fibre broadband across the city, aiming for nearly universal coverage and addressing connectivity gaps. It also plans to enable 5G deployment by supporting infrastructure like small cell installations on city assets.
- Customer Digital Enablement: Emphasizing digital-first services, the Council plans to improve online access to services and self-service options, encouraging citizens to engage with city services digitally.
- Cloud Adoption and Data Strategy: Moving towards a “Cloud First” model, the Council aims to expand its use of cloud storage, particularly with Microsoft 365. This includes improving data management for operational efficiency, enabling faster service delivery, and supporting a transition to a more data-driven organization.
- Sustainability Goals: To support its net-zero goal by 2030, the Council’s strategy includes environmentally sustainable tech investments. This includes energy-efficient data storage solutions, device lifecycle management, and electronic records management to reduce paper usage.
Follow this link to learn about all the initiatives: Digital and Smart City strategy 2024 – 2027
Under the previous 2020 strategy, the City of Edinburgh Council achieved significant milestones in smart city development, including:
- Waste Management Optimization: Installed 11,000 bin sensors across the city, enabling waste crews to identify hot-spot areas for collections, streamline route planning, and maintain cleaner urban environments efficiently.
- Home Health Monitoring: Implemented 500 damp sensors in homes to detect potential issues early, supporting timely repairs and promoting residents’ health and wellbeing.
The updated strategy provides opportunities for vendors in digital solutions, data integration, and cloud services, aligning with the Council’s goals to foster a more connected, resilient, and sustainable Edinburgh.
