SMARTCITY TAIPEI

The "2022 Smart City Industry Symposium" successfully concluded on September 5th at the Taipei City Expo's main stage area. The symposium was organized by the Taipei Smart City Project Management Office, aiming to share experiences in implementing smart city initiatives, analyze the key elements of successful public-private collaborations that have earned Taipei international acclaim, and exchange insights on future trends and policy recommendations among academia, industry, and research sectors. The event aimed to further enhance Taipei City's journey towards becoming a sustainable and livable smart city.

The symposium commenced with the opening remarks by Deputy Mayor Mr. Peng Zhen-sheng, who highlighted that smart cities are vital components of various countries' economic strategies and national economic transformation. It has become a development priority for cities worldwide. Taipei City Government's approach to smart city development is based on the vision of "livability and sustainability" and the concept of a "living laboratory." Through the "Proof of Concept" projects that promote public-private cooperation within open spaces, innovative smart technologies are implemented as actionable solutions to address urban issues and cater to the needs of citizens. The collaboration of the private sector through pro-bono contributions plays a crucial role in harnessing innovative potential and fostering a thriving ecosystem that benefits the government, citizens, and industries alike.

Director Mr. Lu Hsin-ke of the Information Bureau shared during the symposium that the promotion of smart cities requires the joint efforts of the public and private sectors. Taipei's smart city strategy embraces the concept of a "living laboratory" to harness innovative energy and foster social innovation within the public sector. The establishment of the Big Data Center this year is a critical step towards integrating data for city-driven governance, enabling digital transformation to bring greater convenience to the citizens of Smart Taipei. Furthermore, Mr. Jimmy Jeng, the General Manager of Far EasTone Telecommunications and current President of the Taiwan Smart City Industry Alliance, shared insights on "Future Trends and Applications of Smart City Industry." He emphasized that driving technological innovation should always be based on social needs. In the future, a combination of cloud computing, big data, AI, and other technologies will be utilized for more innovative and intelligent applications in people's lives, while minimizing any negative impacts from technology.

During the symposium's trend discussion session, Mr. Lee Chen-yu, the Director in charge of implementing Taipei City's regional PoC projects, acted as the moderator and engaged in a compelling dialogue with Director Lu Hsin-ke, President Jimmy Jeng, and Dr. Chan Wen-nan. They addressed various global exploration issues, with Director Lu highlighting the importance of having objective standardized definitions for data collection and integration. He expressed the hope that both the government and industries can establish a common understanding and practices in this regard. President Jimmy Jeng further explained that centralizing regulations would provide enterprises with guidelines for standardization and that creating common platforms would facilitate data sharing. Finally, Dr. Chan Wen-nan mentioned the need for top-down approaches to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and the role of large companies in guiding smaller enterprises. He stressed the importance of establishing relevant mechanisms and regulations by the government to collaboratively work towards a carbon-neutral society.

In recognition of its achievements, Taipei City Government was honored with the "2022 IDC Asia Pacific Smart City Awards." The awarded projects include the "i-Voting - Realizing Dreams through Online Voting: Direct Democracy Rooted in Society" in the Civic Engagement category and the "Key to Realizing Campus Digital 4.0 - Parent-Teacher-Student Platform" in the Education category. Deputy Mayor Peng accepted the awards on behalf of the city government, with Director Lu Hsin-ke and Deputy Director of the Education Bureau, Ms. Chen Su-hui, also attending the ceremony. Both award-winning projects were showcased during the Taipei City Expo, allowing the public and industry professionals to witness the growth and transformation of Taipei City.

The "2022 Smart City Industry Symposium" brought together Deputy Mayor Peng Zhen-sheng, Director Lu Hsin-ke of the Information Bureau, Deputy Director Chen Su-hui of the Education Bureau, President Jimmy Jeng of Far EasTone Telecommunications and current President of the Taiwan Smart City Industry Alliance, IDC Taiwan General Manager Ms. Jiang Fang-yun, and Dr. Chan Wen-nan, Co-Founder and Dean of the Digital Transformation Institute, for a fruitful exchange. Through this two-way interaction between the government and the industry, participants gained a deeper understanding of Taipei City's future direction in smart city development and showcased the city government's openness and willingness to collaborate. The expectation is for more industry players to get involved in Taipei City's transformation and innovation, fostering greater innovative applications, and accelerating the development of Smart Taipei.