Building the thinking city

A new research centre is setting out to develop the cognitive cities of the future – in effect cities that think.

The Centre for Integrated Sensing and Communication Enabling Cognitive Cities (ISAC), based at the University of Glasgow, plans to harness vast amounts of data expected to be gathered through 6G communications technologies. The centre aims to use this information to create cities that are healthier, safer and more sustainable for residents.

Unlike the current generation of smart cities, which provide real-time data on city systems, cognitive cities can harness the power of AI to analyse data collected by advanced sensors placed around cities, as well as through people’s mobile devices, to enable city systems to become predictive rather than reactive.

The data gathered and processed by cognitive city systems can give urban spaces a level of sensory ability akin to a living organism, where sensing, communications and action can all act in parallel to respond to problems.

New digital technologies driven by complex algorithms can help city decisionmakers identify and prevent common urban problems like gridlock, poor air quality, or failing infrastructure before they happen.

Meanwhile, data gathered by next-generation mobile devices about their users’ wellbeing could help identify the early stages of serious health problems and direct them towards medical assistance to prevent worsening of their condition.

ISAC unites the University’s experts in engineering, computing science, cybersecurity, public health, innovation, business, social science and urban planning under a single banner.

They plan to work with industry and academic partners, local and national governments and civic partners to establish a roadmap for the development of cognitive cities and develop research projects which can be translated into real-world applications.

“Cities around the world are facing a series of challenges, including population growth, the effects of climate change, cybersecurity threats, and the urgent need for decarbonisation,” says ISAC founding director Qammer H Abbasi, professor at the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering.

“Next-generation technologies like real-time data collection, advanced communications, quantum-secured infrastructure, cyber physical systems and artificial intelligence-driven analytics will provide the tools required to turn urban spaces into cognitive cities.

“The University of Glasgow has expertise in all of these areas, and bringing together those researchers under the banner of ISAC will help to encourage groundbreaking new interdisciplinary collaborations.

“The aims of ISAC align closely with UK and Scottish Government priorities in future communications, AI, semiconductor, quantum technologies, and net zero goals, and will help position Glasgow at the forefront of next-generation urban technology development.”

Professor Frances Mair, head of the University of Glasgow’s School of Health and Wellbeing, says: “Cities are becoming more digital, but health and wellbeing services are often among the last to take advantage of the benefits of technological advances. ISAC will help to put these services into the heart of city planning and bring technologists and health experts together in a way that finally moves us beyond simply reacting to illness.

“Instead, we can use real-time information to spot early signs of risk, support people before problems escalate, and make it easier to access services. In the future, we could see ISAC technology quietly working in the background to keep communities healthier, safer, and more supported.”

Nuran Acur, professor of innovation management at the University of Glasgow’s Adam Smith Business School, says: “One of the centre’s major strengths is that we bring together researchers, industry, public services, and society through a responsible innovation and quadruple helix approach, where ideas are driven by societal, policy, and organisational needs and co-created with those who will ultimately use and be affected by them.

“By collaborating so early in development, we co-create technologies that are practical, cost-efficient, socially responsible, and ready to be deployed at the scale cities, organisations, and communities actually need.”

Professor Muhammad Imran, Head of the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, says: “We are delighted to host ISAC within the James Watt School of Engineering; the Centre reflects the strength of its leadership and interdisciplinary team, and exemplifies our commitment to world-leading research with real societal impact.”

In the centre’s first year, researchers plan to host workshops and webinars to bring together international leaders in integrated sensing, communication and computing to develop a deployment roadmap for prototype technologies. A key focus for the roadmap will be balancing the development of innovative systems with robust protection for the data collected from city sensors and mobile devices.

The centre’s researchers will use the university campus as a testbed to put those prototypes through their paces, in partnership with industry partners including BT, Virgin Media O2, Ericsson, Interdigital and Neutral Wireless.

Mallik Tatipamula, Ericsson Silicon Valley CTO, says: “Cities worldwide are facing shared pressures, from climate volatility and sustainable mobility to public safety and seamless connectivity. The cities that succeed will be those that can sense, interpret, and respond to their environments in real time.

“The work being led by ISAC in Glasgow has the potential to shape how cities evolve globally. By advancing integrated sensing, computing and communication, the centre is moving us beyond connected cities towards truly cognitive urban systems that can scale internationally and redefine how future societies function.”

The centre will collaborate with academic partners institutions globally and locally including the Universities of Manchester, Leicester and Strathclyde, Queen Mary University of London, King’s College London and Imperial College London.

* Visit the Centre for Integrated Sensing and Communication Enabling Cognitive Cities website here.