Guest blog: The tech backbone creating the future of infrastructure

The Indian state of Chhattisgarh understands ecosystems. Forests, for example, cover more than 40% of the 23,000-square-mile state. From trees to the smallest fungi, each element within the forest is intricately connected and helps balance the delicate biosphere. Just a single change—whether a rainstorm or higher-than-average temperatures —causes each organism to adapt and adjust, protecting its own health while continually ensuring the survival of the surrounding environment.

In much the same way, Chhattisgarh’s new capital operates a holistic ecosystem of digital systems. Leveraging cognitive city techniques, the planned city of Nava Raipur has unified smart governance, intelligent transport, utility management, intelligent building management, and smart data centres into a cloud-based integrated command and control centre (ICCC). Each team can view this interconnected critical infrastructure grid on a single screen. Workers can now better leverage limited resources – such as water – to ensure the needs of their growing population are met amidst changing climate conditions.

In essence, connected infrastructure transforms cities into high-performing ecosystems capable of tackling—and pre-empting— the challenge of climate change.

But why stop at cities? The technology can be scaled up to the national stage, or down to the community level.

We know actions in one geographic region have an effect in another area. States or provinces, for example, share resources and solutions for mutual benefit. In the case of infrastructural systems, an overloaded electricity grid in one area can impact water volumes elsewhere as pumping slows down. Grid resilience will be an increasingly important topic amidst extreme weather events brought by the climate crisis. The US has devoted $600M through the Department of Energy to boost reliability of its electric grid across the Southeastern part of the country, prompted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. This investment will speed up restoration time and help reduce grid downtime for millions of people inhabiting the most storm-prone regions of the country.

When they have advance knowledge of those challenges through data monitoring and analysis, operators can act proactively before citizens are affected. UK Power Networks, responsible for keeping the lights on in London, is able to understand and predict demand thanks to million of data points collected from smart metres. Smart data also makes future planning easier , drawing the most out of existing infrastructure assets in a context of limited resources and unstable climate conditions.

From country to community level, connected infrastructural ecosystems empower public authorities to operate more efficiently, respond in real time and grow sustainably, creating a better quality of life for their citizens and stakeholders.

Governments and administrators around the world are rapidly realising the benefits of integrated infrastructure. A prime example is the growing trend for connecting utilities across borders to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

The Federal-State Modern Grid Deployment Initiative, involving 21 US states, is a major step towards modernising the power grid, boosting reliability and enhancing resource management. As illustrated by recent events in California, grid resilience against extreme weather events such as wildfires will be key to enable authorities to service their population. On a smaller scale, the World Economic Forum is encouraging industrial clusters—including in China, Indonesia, Ohio and Australia—to share resources, infrastructure and risks to maximise economic and environmental value en route to net zero.

As we know from Nava Raipur’s success, such infrastructural integration depends on a digital backbone.

Data is a nation’s most valuable asset. It is now being collected from multiple infrastructure points—traffic, energy grids, utilities. Infusing it with artificial intelligence (AI) in the cloud enables businesses to make better use of scarcely available natural resources when managing their operations. Centralising this information, such as in an integrated command-and-control centre, facilitates smoother collaboration and closer interaction among different sectors. These insights being available to response teams is essential to allow for faster mitigation of climate risks, understand the impact of extreme weather events, and allow the use of fewer resources across connected geographies.

Qatar’s innovative use of digital systems demonstrates the value of data-driven infrastructure across multiple utilities.

Qatar Power tackles challenges like climate change and resource demand with a suite of data management and operations control software hosted in the cloud. Since onboarding the system, 10% fuel efficiency has saved $1.4 million annually. It has also saved $1.3 million in margins on seawater, its main resource. And on a local level, the Qatar Foundation’s Education City achieved a 5.5% reduction in campus energy use through data-driven decisions, thanks to real-time monitoring and centralised operations control.

Together, these connected systems form the basis of a digital backbone, setting the stage to unlock infrastructural synergies. Water management is a priority for Qatar and its limited resources – predictive maintenance of its water infrastructure is essential to ensure its inhabitants do not suffer from drought. Likewise, knowing when power demand is low can help Ashghal public works authority carry out non-essential maintenance without straining the grid. Scaled up to a national scale, the next step could be a Connected Qatar.

By connecting assets like water, power, and urban systems within a unified digital ecosystem, countries can fast-track strategic goals such as decarbonisation, developing sustainable cities, and mitigating the effects of climate change on populations. Bringing together multiple stakeholders onto a centralised platform boosts efficiency, resilience and innovation across the entire public sector, driving down costs and reducing resource use.

Earth Overshoot Day, which we hit on August 1 this year, warns that we’re living beyond the planet’s means. However, by leveraging data to cut consumption and costs, we unlock capacity for economic expansion, ensure liveable cities, and sustainable growth in the face of resource bottlenecks and an increasingly unstable climate.

We see this 360-degree statewide single perspective driving more efficient reporting and extending equipment life, leading to 30% energy reduction and emissions cuts, a 75% increase in renewable energy use, waste reductions of 50%, while overall carbon emissions could drop 30%, enabling a better, brighter future for Qatar.

Just like in a forest ecosystem, where plants, animals, and microorganisms work in harmony to adapt to changes, networked systems in a connected country synchronise and respond dynamically to emerging needs and evolving conditions.

When governments, businesses, institutions and suppliers collaborate using the same shared information, data and insights, we can build more efficient and resilient nations. Qatar, Nava Raipur, and others such as Singapore, demonstrate, how integrated infrastructure can support national development goals and enable better resilience against climate change, even as resource scarcity grows. Whilst the investment needed will be significant, the climate crisis makes it an absolute necessity for states to prioritise adaptation through infrastructure digitalisation and cross-sector collaboration.

By creating these integrated infrastructural networks, we create resilient, sustainable communities capable of meeting future challenges head on.

Climate, Environment and Sustainability Programme activities

The techUK Climate Programme provides opportunities for members to present tech solutions that assist carbon emission reduction, circularity, and human rights goals. We also help our members with their own net zero transition, including measurement, implementation, compliance, and reporting. Visit the programme page here.