Research Article
Investigation of Prospects and Challenges of Smart Cities in 21st Century
Khandakar Akhter Hossain*
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, June 2026
Pages:
1-22
Received:
13 February 2026
Accepted:
9 March 2026
Published:
13 April 2026
Abstract: In 21st century the use of smart technology presents many distinct prospects along with significant challenges. Those prospects included transforming industries, agricultural and service sectors by improving daily life with sustainability. These technologies develop smart homes, smart cities by improving healthcare, transportation, connectivity, finance, business etc. with comfort, safety and security. On the other hand, it creates challenges in technological, economical, legal and ethical facet along with data privacy, security, and accountability. Today’s top-notch and cutting-edge technologies such as mobile phone, digital/quantum computers, camera surveillance, robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), Big Data, Digital Twin, etc. make radical changes on human culture, law, religion, work, etc., and that have greatly up-sated the normal order of things in the society. The use of these smart technologies in smart cities and business enterprises has been met with certain technological, economical, legal and ethical consequences. Smart cities in the 21st century utilize IoT, AI, ML, Big Data, Digital Twin, and data analytics to enhance sustainability, efficiency, and quality of life, with greater urbanization and climate challenges toward peaceful and smart living. Important prospects like intelligent traffic, smart grids, and citizen-centric services, though high implementation costs and cybersecurity risks remain significant challenges. This study will appraise the prospect and challenges along with ethical aspect of extensive and wide use of smart technology to develop smart cities. Beside many prospects there are some major challenges need to handle to a balance between technological innovation and the protection of individual rights and societal values. This is a research study on smart technology to evaluate the prospects and challenges of smart cities in 21st century.
Abstract: In 21st century the use of smart technology presents many distinct prospects along with significant challenges. Those prospects included transforming industries, agricultural and service sectors by improving daily life with sustainability. These technologies develop smart homes, smart cities by improving healthcare, transportation, connectivity, fi...
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Research Article
Entrepreneurship Skills and Venture Creation in University Libraries in South-West, Nigeria
Issue:
Volume 12, Issue 1, June 2026
Pages:
23-40
Received:
30 January 2026
Accepted:
9 March 2026
Published:
6 August 2026
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijsmit.20261201.12
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Abstract: University libraries are increasingly required to adopt entrepreneurial approaches to enhance service delivery and contribute to institutional sustainability amid declining funding and rising operational demands. This study examined entrepreneurship skills and venture creation in university libraries in South-West Nigeria. Adopting a survey research design, the study employed a total enumeration approach covering 314 librarians from 18 selected federal, state, and private universities, of which 279 valid responses were analyzed. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and simple linear regression at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that librarians possess a generally high level of entrepreneurship skills, particularly in leadership, opportunity recognition, innovation, and creativity, though gaps exist in risk management and user-centred innovationh. The study further established that university libraries are actively progressing through different phases of venture creation, with the fully developed phase showing the strongest performance in terms of operational efficiency and sustained growth. Archiving and digitization services emerged as the most prevalent ventures, while other income-generating initiatives such as publishing, consultancy, and infopreneurship remain underutilized. Regression results indicated that entrepreneurship skills have a significant positive influence on venture creation (β = 0.343, p < 0.001). The study concludes that strengthening librarians’ entrepreneurial competencies is critical for diversifying ventures and repositioning university libraries as strategic contributors to institutional development and revenue generation.
Abstract: University libraries are increasingly required to adopt entrepreneurial approaches to enhance service delivery and contribute to institutional sustainability amid declining funding and rising operational demands. This study examined entrepreneurship skills and venture creation in university libraries in South-West Nigeria. Adopting a survey researc...
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