Barcelona, Spain – Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam ticker: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting, has created a sneak preview of what urban life could be like in 2030, in a future-gazing virtual reality experience. At Smart Cities Expo World Congress in Barcelona today, Philips Lighting Research unveiled a picture of how connected lighting technology will play a key part in underpinning the smart cities we can expect to inhabit in just over a decade.
Urban populations are growing rapidly and 60 percent of the world population are predicted to be living in cities by 20301. Philips Lighting is helping to pave the way for massive urban growth by developing a people-centric blueprint for lighting and Internet of Things (IoT) services in the smart city of the future. In the first instalment of the ’2030: Smart city life’ virtual reality experience, the company shows how connected LED lighting has the potential to enhance quality of life, transform everyday experiences and services, and ensure sustainability in our ever expanding global cities. By 2030 it is expected that there will be close to 70 billion light points.2