SMART CITY EXPO. Representatives of the government, private sector, and other stakeholders grace the opening rites of the 11th Smart City Summit and Expo at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Hall 2 in Taiwan on Tuesday (March 19, 2024). The number of participants in this year's event reached 2,192, surpassing last year's attendance of more than 1,500 guests. (PNA photo by Benj Bondoc)
TAIPEI, Taiwan – The 11th Smart City Summit and Expo (SCSE) officially opened at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (TaiNex) here Tuesday.
The event, organized by the Taipei Computer Association (TCA), the Kaohsiung City government, and the National Development Council, runs from Tuesday to Thursday at the TaiNex Hall 2 and from Thursday to Saturday at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center.
This year's record-high figure of 2,192 international guests surpassed the more than 1,500 visitors from last year's edition.
In his speech during the opening rites, TCA chairperson Paul SL Peng touted the event's growing participation every year, noting a 13 percent increase in the number of delegates this year.
A total of 600 exhibitors using 2,200 booths showcasing smart city applications in transportation, health care, construction, manufacturing, security, and net-zero emissions are featured in the Taipei and Kaoshiung exhibition hubs.
About 495 government delegates from 46 countries and regions, representing 112 cities are also attending the event.
He noted that the largest visiting delegations are from the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, which highlight the increasing economic ties between Taiwan and these nations.
Meanwhile, Taiwan's Presidential Office Secretary General Chia-lung Lin said the government is working to transform Taiwan into a "tech island."
He said Taiwan's information and communications technology (ICT) industry has developed a diverse range of smart city and net-zero city solutions over the past decade, noting that the island aims to promote these solutions globally and collaborate with other nations to advance these initiatives.
Net zero is the state of balance between producing and removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.
"We aim to make great strides in achieving smart cities and net zero," he added.
Meanwhile, National Development Council Minister Ming-Hsin Kung said the Taiwanese government officially launched its net zero emission plans this year to achieve the goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
He said the "2050 Net Zero City Expo" aims to advance the island's efforts to cut carbon emissions and foster collaboration with cities worldwide to jointly achieve the goal.
"Not only Taiwan can help. Taiwan can lead," Ming added.
The event will also showcase exhibitions from eight government ministries, together with research institutions, universities, and enterprises related to the 12 key strategies for net-zero emissions approved by the Executive Yuan, Taiwan's highest administrative organ.
Ming also noted that achieving net-zero emissions should not be viewed as merely resulting in higher business operation costs but also presenting an opportunity for business transformation and economic growth through the participation of more enterprises.
This year's SCSE highlights include the Net Zero City Leaders Summit, Net Zero Expo Tour, and the 5G + AI Expo, which gather policymakers, exhibitors, and other stakeholders to underscore the importance of smart city and net zero efforts in fostering sustainable development, mitigating the impact of climate change and featuring useful applications of emerging technologies, such as 5G and Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIOT). (PNA)
