Smart City Knowledge Library
Welcome to the Smart City Knowledge Library, your hub for exploring how technology is transforming urban life. Whether you're a city planner, tech enthusiast, or just curious about the future of connected communities, this curated collection of articles, podcasts, and webinars has something for you.
Discover how data-driven infrastructure, IoT, and AI are reshaping mobility, sustainability, and public services. Learn how smart grids, intelligent transport, and digital twins are making cities more efficient, resilient, and livable.
Our library offers everything from foundational concepts to the latest innovations, and it is designed for all levels of expertise. Step into the future of urban innovation.
- Articles
- Podcasts
- Webinars
Asset Tracking articles
The Technologies Revolutionising Asset-Tracking
Miniaturisation of electronic devices, such as embedded processors and transceivers, and advanced power-management techniques are enabling the creation of low-cost, battery-operated asset-tracking devices. Using these devices, asset-tracking applications are delivering real business benefits across a wide spectrum of applications in multiple sectors, including transportation and logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and retail.
This article takes a closer look at asset tracking, describing ongoing and future market trends, and highlighting the technologies enabling this market growth. It concludes by discussing how asset-tracking technologies are also contributing to other emerging technological trends, including smart cities and the Industry 4.0 factory.
Optimising Asset-Tracking Solution Designs
The rapid growth of the IoT has driven the emergence of a range of innovative technologies which are increasingly being adopted in asset-tracking systems. With such a wide spectrum of options, it can sometimes be difficult to choose the optimum combination for a given application. This article describes the main technologies currently available to support asset-tracking solutions and discusses how to choose the optimal technology for a specific application.
As a leading global technology distributor and solutions provider, Avnet Silica has the product portfolio and solutions expertise to ensure that their customers optimise the design of their asset-tracking solutions. This article concludes with an examination of selected technologies within the extensive Avnet Silica portfolio.
Smart Home articles
Matter Overview
Learn more about the fundamentals of Matter, how it works, its fortified security measures, how it will revolutionise smart home solutions and learn about Avnet Silica and its partners Matter solutions.
Wirepas Overview
Learn more about the fundamentals of Wirepas, Wirepas mesh networks, the need for Wirepas amongst other connectivity standards, use-cases and Avnet Silica's leading partner supplier solutions.
Smart Homes: Making Life Easier and More Affordable
Smart home technology can transform domestic environments – improving comfort, security, and energy efficiency.
By connecting living spaces through the Internet of Things, technologies such as lighting, heating, cooling and consumer electronics become more controllable and usable, enhancing many aspects of our daily lives.
Energy Management articles
Empowering the Future with Advanced Energy Storage
Energy storage systems (ESS) are revolutionising how we generate, store, and consume electricity, providing flexibility and reliability to both residential and commercial energy infrastructures. By capturing excess energy during periods of low demand and releasing it during peak times, ESS not only enhances energy efficiency but also contributes to a more resilient and sustainable power grid.
Renewable Energy for a Brighter Tomorrow
New technologies such as bifacial solar panels and vertical-axis wind turbines are finding increasing applications across towns and cities worldwide. These solutions allow companies and consumers to become more environmentally responsible while benefiting financially from selling their own clean energy back to utilities.
Energy Management: Security & Software
As energy systems become increasingly digital and interconnected, software and cybersecurity have taken centre stage. These elements are no longer add-ons—they are foundational to managing modern energy infrastructure efficiently, reliably, and securely. Intelligent software solutions and robust security frameworks enable real-time monitoring, predictive analytics, and seamless integration of distributed energy resources, whether in homes, buildings, or industrial settings.
EV Charging articles
Could EV Charging Spawn an Integrated Energy Infrastructure?
As the world rapidly transitions towards renewable energy sources and electric vehicles (EVs), our energy infrastructure faces a period of profound change. The opportunities and challenges posed by renewable energy generation and the increasing demand for EV charging necessitate reimagining how we generate, store, and distribute electricity. This transformation offers the potential for a more integrated, resilient, and intelligent energy infrastructure — where EVs play a pivotal role not just as energy consumers, but as active participants in the grid.
EV Battery Technology: Where We Are, and Where We’re Going
This article looks at where we currently stand with EV battery technology, focusing on lithium-ion cells, and explores where we are headed, including innovations that promise faster charging, greater capacity, and enhanced safety.
Is WBG the Right Technology at Just the Right Time for EV Charging?
This article looks at how WBG semiconductors are revolutionising EV charging systems, offering unique advantages over traditional silicon devices and potentially unlocking a more efficient, sustainable future for EV technology.
Power to the (Local EV) People
This article explores how tapping into the grid to charge EVs poses unique challenges and how generating power locally at charging stations could offer a sustainable and practical alternative. Specifically, we’ll explore the use of wind turbines and microturbines to power EV charging points, exploring the benefits and challenges of these emerging technologies.
Does Matter matter to EV Charging?
Could Matter play a role in streamlining the complex interactions between EVs, home energy systems, and the grid? This article explores Matter's current significance in the smart home and speculates on its potential future application in EV charging.
Safeguarding EV Charging from QR Code Phishing (Quishing)
With the rapid expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, ensuring they provide both efficient, fast-charging capabilities and secure, trusted payment and interaction methods is critical.
However, while EV charging stations become ubiquitous, the use of QR codes at these stations introduces a new cybersecurity threat with broad implications: QR code phishing, also known as ‘quishing’.
Healthcare articles
Powering Healthcare
Relentless global demand for medical and healthcare equipment offers unprecedented opportunity for innovators who can get to market rapidly with new products. Characterised by an uncompromising requirement for safety, medical equipment requires power supply solutions that reliably deliver clean and stable power, reducing the risk of patient harm or equipment failure.
Developers of all categories of medical equipment must have access to specialist power electronics expertise to make the right choices when designing the power supply for the end application. With our broad power offering and our team of dedicated experts, Avnet Silica are here to help you weigh your power solution options and decide which work best for you.
Episode 70: Keeping trains on track: How AXO Track prevents railway delays with IoT sensors
In this episode, we explore the critical intersection of IoT technology and railway infrastructure with Oliver von Sperber, Managing Director at AXO Track, a German startup transforming railway switch maintenance.
Twenty per cent of train delays stem from switch malfunctions, costing operators millions and frustrating passengers worldwide. Oliver and his team address this challenge through IoT sensors that monitor railway switches in real time, detecting problems before they cause expensive breakdowns.
Oliver brings unique expertise to this problem. He founded AXO Track after running both an investment bank and a sensor technology company. He even completed training as a railway switch mechanic to understand the technical challenges firsthand.
We discuss the journey from manual maintenance to predictive maintenance, the technical challenges of deploying sensors in critical infrastructure, and how smartphone technology has made railway IoT economically viable.
Episode 69: Focus on the Edge: How Videam’s Smart Cameras Solve Real-World Problems
In this episode, we explore the future of computer vision with Tommaso Scuccato and Marco Bergamin from Videam, an Italian startup that brings AI-powered vision systems to the edge.
Videam tackles diverse challenges from ski pass fraud detection to traffic monitoring using custom-built cameras that process AI algorithms locally. Their patented technology avoids facial recognition, instead analysing patterns and features that work even when people wear goggles or face coverings.
Tommaso and Marco discuss their journey from aerospace and automotive engineering to developing polarised sensors that see through windscreen reflections, enabling applications from catching distracted drivers to industrial quality control. We explore why they chose edge processing over cloud solutions and how their partnership with Avnet accelerates hardware development.
Tune in to discover how intelligent cameras transform everyday problems into solved challenges – one frame at a time.
Episode 68: Shush Money: How Hydronauten's Silent Pumps Save Millions in Energy Costs
In this episode, we conclude our special series on the Advanced Electronics Challenge with the winners themselves: Johannes Büker, CEO, and Paul Werner, CTO of Hydronauten GmbH. Their innovative solution addresses a significant hidden energy drain – pumps consume approximately 30% of the EU's electricity.
Hydronauten addresses two critical challenges simultaneously: reducing harmful vibrations that damage infrastructure and residents' quality of life while dramatically improving energy efficiency. Their "quiet hydro technology" applies noise-cancelling principles to pump systems, enabling 20-30% energy savings and opening new possibilities for grid stabilisation.
Johannes and Paul explain how their technology transforms existing pump installations into smart, efficient systems that can help stabilise renewable energy grids. The conversation reveals how pump-based grid stabilisation could have prevented recent power outages in Spain and Portugal and why this overlooked technology represents a crucial piece of the renewable energy puzzle.
Episode 66: Diamonds are forever, PFAS not: How CiX Greentech purifies water
In this episode, we explore the future of water purification with Timo Fromm and Rudolf Borchardt from CiX Greentech, a German startup tackling one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.
CiX has developed a smart, ready-to-use purification module that uses diamond electrodes and electricity to eliminate micropollutants such as pharmaceutical residues, hormones, bacteria, viruses – and persistent chemicals like PFAS.
Timo and Rudolf discuss their journey from nanotechnology research to winning third place in the Advanced Electronics Challenge at embedded world 2025. We discuss the science behind their solution, potential industrial applications, and how their technology helps protect water systems and public health.
Tune in to learn how deep tech and hardware innovation can drive real impact – one drop at a time.
Episode 65: Sensors and Cents: The Real ROI of a Data-Powered Workplace
Join host Stefanie Ruth Heyduck as she sits down with Phil Bell and Josh Jackman from ART Health Solutions to explore the cutting-edge intersection of technology and workplace wellbeing. Discover how real-world data from wearables, smartphone apps, and environmental sensors can enhance productivity and employee experience.
Learn about the tangible impact of factors such as light, noise, office design, and even nutrition on your performance. Tune in to hear expert insights on the future of work, the benefits of flexible workspaces, and strategies for creating healthier, happier workplaces.
Episode 64: Powering the Shift: NXP’s Mark Swinburn on IoT and AI Driving the Future of Energy Management
Mark Swinburn from NXP joins us to explore the pivotal role of energy management in today's world. We discuss the challenges posed by rising energy demands, the critical importance of sustainability, and the impact of AI and digitalization on energy systems.
The conversation delves into how governments, companies, and investors can accelerate the clean energy transition through standardization and partnerships. Mark highlights the shift towards real-time, autonomous, and secure energy management systems, emphasizing AI and machine learning as key drivers.
The episode concludes with a look at how NXP is incorporating advanced security measures to safeguard energy infrastructures and a discussion on emerging trends like containerization.
On-Demand Smart City Webinars
See all of our on-demand webinars for Smart City on the Avnet Silica DEEP portal.
Featured Webinars
Webinar: Intelligent Energy Management and Storage Solutions
As the global energy landscape shifts toward decentralisation, electrification, and real-time optimisation, the demand for secure, scalable, and intelligent energy systems is greater than ever.
In this exclusive Avnet Silica webinar, we bring together leading semiconductor experts from Diodes, Microchip, MPS, Nexperia, NXP, onsemi, Renesas, and STMicroelectronics to explore how cutting-edge technologies are reshaping energy storage and power management systems.
Whether you're designing for e-mobility, renewable energy, or smart infrastructure, this webinar will help you accelerate development with future-proof technologies and expert insights.
Connecting the Future: Matter and Wirepas Unleashed
In this on-demand webinar, you'll have the chance to hear from leading experts in the field, learn about the latest advancements, and gain valuable insights into the future of IoT and connectivity standards. Whether you're a developer, engineer, or IoT enthusiast, this webinar promises to empower you with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in the ever-evolving world of IoT technology. Join us for an enriching journey into the world of Matter and Wirepas – where innovation and connectivity converge to shape a smarter, interconnected future.