Smart technologies and the ecosystems they are integrated into, these each represent opportunities for both businesses and travelers. Airports, being central to the overall travel market, they will soon become highly advanced Smart hubs themselves, According to a new report from MarketsandMarkets, the global market for smart airports will reach $13.5 billion by the year 2020. Already the demand for smart technologies integrated into center infrastructures will skyrocket in the next few years.
The global market for smart airports this year alone is estimated at to exceed $9,71 billion. The report by MarketsandMarkets is the latest in a series of ongoing forecasts directed at revealing how technology, customers, and businesses ever increasingly interact. Since 2009, when companies like Cisco (PDF) foretold of the evolution of the airport, it’s been clear traveler experience and utility is culminating in a new digital services age. “Smart Airports,” as defined by Cisco back then:
“Airport 3.0 comprises “smart airports” that fully exploit the power of emerging and maturing technologies, with advanced and pervasively deployed sense-analyze respond capabilities. Systems are built around a “digital grid”: a single, converged, often carrier-class IP network that enables high-speed broadband traffic throughout the entire ecosystem, including the airport, airport city, airlines, seaport, logistics, authorities, and other parties…”
Fast forwarding to today’s industry topics and the genesis of a new business model has emerged for every niche in travel. Coming in 2015, the Smart Airports: Preparing for Preparing for 2030 & Beyond conference at the Peridot Suites in the Max Atria which is part of the Singapore EXPO is but one of a series of coming smart technology meetups spotlighting this new synergy.
The larger scope of discussion though, demands every business start to focus on:
- Design and development – new elements of airport design, green solutions, community involvement, concessions, and etc.
- Smart tech for security – the human framework, regulations, smart innovations, access dynamics, etc.
- Automation and IT – delivering on the unique customer experience
Finally, it’s no surprise the technology space’s biggest players are already attuned to this emerging market. IBM, with their “Smarter Transportation,” is providing solutions to extend airport authorities’ capabilities beyond what was even thought possible a few years ago. And IBM is not alone. A whole tier of value added companies such as Scarabee, they provide cutting edge solutions for everything from baggage handling to IT innovation and integration. XCELAR, Hertz, Göteborg Landvetter (kiosk printers), Amadeus, the list goes on, and on. Smart parking, smart advertising, smart baggage handling, smart everything will soon replace Airport 1.0 solutions worldwide.
More and more the airport ecosystem will will be transformed. This new paradigm of business will show a massive disruption mitigation, as well as opportunities to capitalize on the forecasting of such shifts. Very soon airport resources will be so fine-tuned as to provide a pinnacle of efficiency savings, as well as ultimate passenger/client experiences. All airports will be transformed into intelligent, adaptive and responsive environments. And the transformation spells opportunity at every turn.