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MARCH 10-12, 2026 | RALEIGH, NC |
Honoring the twenty most transformative smart projects each year
The Smart 20 Awards annually recognize global smart cities projects, honoring the most innovative and influential work. We will designate three winners from the overall awardee pool at the awards reception.
Who Should Apply
Strong applicants will represent innovative projects with current or future municipal-scale impact and application. Applications should clarify their connection with a municipal or municipal-similar partner, such as a county, region, campus, military base, or facility complex.
A fee of $395 is due for each application submitted, invoiced via email. We must receive payment on time in order to qualify your entry.
Awardees Receive
| ✓ | one (1) full registration waiver to Smart Cities Connect Conference and Expo, |
| ✓ | a shiny trophy. |
Awards Reception
Meet awardees, top solution providers, and municipal leadership from around the globe at the Smart 20 Awards Reception. Enjoy an open bar, appetizers, and networking. Three winners - out of the top 20 awardees - will be announced!
When: March 10 from 4:30-6:00 pm
Where: Expo Hall
Dress: Business Casual
No cost to attend
Sponsored by:
AWARDS TIMELINE
Questions, please contact Laura Murphree, laura@techconnect.org.
- AI-Drive Enforcement for Safer and Efficient Public Transit (Sacramento, CA)
- AI-Enabled Coastal Community Flood Resilience: Digital Twin-Reinforced Emergency Infrastructure Systems (Charleston County, SC)
- Carroll County Public Network - "Broadband for All" (Carroll County, MD)
- City of Albuquerque Enhanced Detection Uses (Albuquerque, NM)
- City of Coral Gables Smart City Research Lab and Gables TechTank Incubator (Coral Gables, FL)
- City of Fort Worth - SMARTer Weather, Safer Mobility Initiative (Fort Worth, TX)
- City of Oceanside: Impacting Energy, Budgets, and the Community (Oceanside, CA)
- Designed for Reality: A Technology-Enabled Model for Modern Policing (Chula Vista, CA)
- Digital Twin-Driven Asset Management for Los Angeles World Airports (Los Angeles, CA)
- Jacky 2.0: AI-Powered Multilingual Virtual Assistant for Municipal Services (Midland, TX)
- Mesan Chatbot Experience (Mesa, AZ)
- New Orleans Streetlight and Smart City Systems (New Orleans, LA)
- Powering Government Insights with Generative AI (Ottawa, Canada)
- Precision Carbon Governance: Scaling AI-Driven Real-Time Monitoring for Public Infrastructure (Taoyuan City, New Taipei City, and Nantou County, Taiwan)
- Protect Our City: City Monitoring and Response System (Taoyuan City, Taiwan)
- Safer, Smarter, Faster: Pairing Cloud-Based Vehicle Preemption and Advanced Intersection Analytics (Las Vegas, NV)
- SJC Regulatory Sandbox: A Living Lab for Smart City Innovation (So Jos dos Campos, Brazil)
- Smart Utilities Ecosystem: AI-Enabled Utility Resilience for North Miami Beach (North Miami Beach, FL)
- Throne: The Future of Public Restrooms in Long Beach (Long Beach, CA)
- Zero to 80,000: Building America's First 100% Cloud-Native Municipal Infrastructure (Mableton, GA)
