City of Panama. FIWARE4Cities book ed. 6

In this weekly series, we present to you each time one innovative city on its digital journey and on its way to become smart(er). This time, we have the City of Panama for you.

Panama City, the capital of Panama, is a vibrant metropolis located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal. With a population of approximately 1.5 million, it is the largest city in the country and a central hub for commerce, banking, and tourism in Central America. Panama City is renowned for its strategic geographic location, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the iconic Panama Canal, which plays a crucial role in global maritime trade.

As a cultural and economic centre, Panama City also boasts a rich history, diverse architecture, and a rapidly growing skyline.

Panama City’s Smart City Strategy leverages technology to enhance urban living and sustainability. The city aims to improve public services, inf rastructure, and resource management through innovative solutions. Key initiatives include deploying IoT devices for real-time data collection, developing a new platform to monitor the vehicles that facilitate the transportation of ships crossing the Panama Canal, and implementing advanced water management and early warning systems. The strategy emphasises collaboration with both private and public sectors to create a resilient, efficient, and inclusive urban environment.

AsterIoT Platform: Empowering Urban Solutions

The AsterIoT platform by GrupoTX enhances urban management in Panama City with FIWARE open standards and AWS Garnet, providing real-time data and analytics for key city and canal operations. AsterIoT leverages FIWARE smart data models and the FIWARE Context Broker to ensure scalable, efficient deployment across applications.

For water management with IDAAN, AsterIoT monitors tank levels, water quality, and pump maintenance, with sensor data transmitted via LoRaWAN, enabling effective decision-making. In the Panama Canal, AsterIoT improves safety by gathering contextual data from locks, locomotives, and vessels, enhancing operational awareness along this critical global route. SINAPROC relies on AsterIoT’s early warning system, which monitors flood risks using ultrasonic sensors on bridges to detect rising water levels and provide timely alerts for rapid responses.

AsterIoT’s scalable design is expanding to monitor additional rivers and incorporates AI-based forecasts to advance early warning capabilities across Panama City. With AWS Garnet and FIWARE smart data models, AsterIoT offers a powerful, adaptable platform for comprehensive urban management.