It is estimated that smart cities will present opportunities worth $1500bn over the next five years, with urban areas in emerging markets at the forefront of this development. But can a move towards 'smart' fill the huge infrastructural, social and energy requirements of these cities?

Inspired by the shale revolution in the US, a rising number of firms are looking to profit from the untapped energy potential in other countries, turning typically unattractive investment destinations, such as Tajikistan and Iran, into potentially lucrative markets.

A new technology campus in New York City is pushing the boundaries of innovation, both in terms of its sustainable design and its collaborative education programme, but will it be able to galvanise the city's tech potential?

With real estate space at an astronomical premium in the traditional centre of New York City – Manhattan – investors are looking over the river to Brooklyn, which a wave of new developments is transforming into the next big location.

Providing IT solutions for back offices is not the most high profile of businesses to work in, and this goes a long way to explaining why New York-based software company IPsoft is little known outside its core market, despite having offices located around the globe. Will its focus on 'autonomics' bring the company out of its relative obscurity?

The use of smart technology – including a high-speed fibre optic pipe and the embracing of the latest in cloud technology – in the regeneration of Toronto's waterfront areas is securing the city's future as a leading hi-tech destination.