The Internet of Building Things - #NYTechWeek
Since 1999, when MIT researcher Kevin Ashton coined the phrase "Internet of Things," the promise has been to track vehicles, equipment, and cargo in real time.
In 2026, that promise is finally becoming practical. A new logistics stack is emerging built on RFID, BLE beacons, cellular telematics, cameras, and satellite connectivity. Devices can now run 10 years on a battery with hourly pings, and new systems are even experimenting with Bluetooth signals detected directly by satellites.
The recent Vancouver HardTech Forum on 'The Internet of Moving Things' discussed how continuous monitoring throughout the supply chain is now the standard. For #NYTechWeek, we're turning to the job site with "The Internet of Building Things."
Construction has always been one of the hardest environments to digitize—chaotic, temporary, GPS-denied, and constantly changing—but autonomous drones are mapping progress in real time, LiDAR systems are generating centimeter-accurate 3D models without a surveyor on site, and the same sensor stacks that track fleet assets on highways are being adapted to track equipment, materials, and workers across active builds.
Zoom out and the same forces are reshaping the broader built environment — from utilities using robotics to manage infrastructure across thousands of miles, to smart buildings generating telemetry streams that rival industrial systems.
This HardTech Forum will ask: now that we can see the physical world with unprecedented resolution, where does the real value get created? In the hardware, the data, or the platforms that turn sensor feeds into decisions?
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