SMART CITY 2030: Five BRICS Cities Receive Projects for the Future

Out of 391 teams, the Grand Prix winners in five categories presented smart city projects for St. Petersburg, Mumbai, Mashhad, Shanghai, and Kampala. The jury evaluated the projects based on innovation, practical applicability, the use of AI and digital technologies, and their potential for scaling across BRICS+ countries.

What Is the SMART CITY 2030 Competition?

SMART CITY 2030 is an international smart city project competition organized with the participation of universities from Russia, India, China, and Brazil. Young scientists and students propose solutions for the cities of the future, ranging from smart water management to air pollution monitoring. In 2026, an open international track for teams from countries outside BRICS+ was added to the four traditional categories.

Winners: Five Projects for Five Cities

• St. Petersburg (Russia) — a team from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University: water and energy resource management for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region through 2030.
• Mumbai (India) — a digital twin of the stormwater drainage system and predictive AI models to reduce flood risks.
• Mashhad (Iran) — energy conservation and engaging children and teenagers in responsible resource consumption.
• Shanghai (China, in collaboration with Russia) — a model for the temporary use of urban spaces.
• Kampala (Uganda) — a decentralized health monitoring network to assess the risks of respiratory diseases and sleep disorders associated with air pollution.

From Ideas to Practical Urban Solutions

The forum also featured a foresight session on the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market. Experts and participants discussed which professions and skills will be in demand in the future. The biggest challenge for these projects still lies ahead: whether the ideas can move beyond presentations and become practical, operational solutions. For cities, this is not a matter of prestige but an opportunity to manage resources more efficiently, reduce risks, and improve quality of life.

What Challenges Do the Winning Projects Address?

The SMART CITY 2030 projects cover several areas of urban development. The Russian team focused on water and energy resource management, while the Indian team concentrated on AI-powered flood forecasting. Participants from Iran proposed engaging children and teenagers in energy conservation, while the Russian-Chinese team introduced a new approach to the temporary use of urban spaces. The project from Uganda focuses on health monitoring and assessing risks associated with air pollution.

What Do These Solutions Have in Common?

The five projects share a common goal: using digital technologies to address specific urban challenges. These include infrastructure management, reducing environmental risks, efficient resource utilization, and improving quality of life. The next step for these developments is to test their practical effectiveness and assess their potential for implementation in other cities.