The Internet of Things in transportation and its promise for Sustainable Development

On 28th September 2016, the DPS unit organized a Development Policy Seminar on the topic of “The Internet of Things in transportation and its promise for Sustainable Development”. The seminar was presented by Mr. Viral Chawda (Managing Director - Data & Analytics at KPMG, Dallas) and Ms. Gaya Branderhorst (Director Data & Analytics at KPMG, New York), and it was chaired by Ms. Diana Alarcon (Chief, Development Strategy and Policy Analysis unit (DPAD/DESA)). A brief presentation introduced the concept of Internet of Things (IoT) and its different possible applications in the world today, including support to sustainable development. IoT can, for instance, help in the measurement of the Sustainable Development Goals or even be an integral part of policies for sustainable development. The presenters then discussed specifically the application of IoT in the transportation sector and the potential it holds to support sustainable communities, especially in the urban setting. A lively discussion followed with the audience.