According to a study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the search engine Shodan, Belgium is one of the leading countries who are early adopters of the Internet of Things (IoT).
The idea behind the IoT is that just about anything - devices, vehicles, buildings, people, etc. - can be connected with the internet and with each other. Examples include switching on your central heating on the way home via your smartphone, monitoring your health via your smartwatch, etc.
South Korea has the most developed Internet of Things in the world. For every 100 inhabitants, there are apparently 39.7 devices connected to the internet. The Top 3 countries are completed by Denmark with 32.7 connected devices, and Switzerland with 29 devices. Belgium ranks in 11th place, with 15.6 connected devices. According to the OECD, the average household will have around 50 connected devices over the next 6 years.
IoT technologies can help organisations, governments and companies to make their activities more efficient and enable some things to be monitored more effectively. The OECD also believes that it could help governments to organise themselves more efficiently. According to the think-tank, IoT technologies will eventually have a significant impact on a wide range of sectors, including transport, e-health and energy.
IoT is still in its infancy, but more and more companies are embracing the technology. Before the technology can really break through, several important sticking points - including security - still need to be addressed. As an early adopter of IoT, Belgium is playing a key role in bringing IoT technology to the mainstream.
