The Smart City Summit and Expo opened at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center yesterday.
The expo, which runs until Friday, is cohosted by the Taipei Computer Association and the Taipei City Government. The nation’s information and communications technology industry used the show to present its smart city solutions, and it is also one of the biggest exhibitions in Asia for Internet of Things applications.
This is the sixth year that Taipei has hosted the annual event, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said at the opening, adding that the show’s scale has grown each year since the city first cohosted it in 2016.
Photo: CNA
More than 1,700 professionals from 42 countries and regions are expected to attend, including 128 city leaders who participated in a mayor’s summit, Ko said.
The mayors would also attend a launch event today for the Global Organization of Smart Cities initiative, he added.
This year’s expo features 1,260 booths representing 337 companies, nine themed booths representing foreign cities and 15 themed booths for local cities, including the “Smart Taipei, One City” booth by the Taipei City Government, which displays 31 innovative technology applications and services.
At the summit, Ko said the city government has been cooperating with the private sector and academics to make the city a living laboratory for innovative ideas and smart city solutions.
Taipei Deputy Mayor Teng Chia-chi (鄧家基) gave a keynote speech on the city’s Smart City Vision.
Taipei Department of Information Technology Director Lu Hsin-ke (呂新科) said the city leaders — including officials from Prague; Fukuoka, Japan; Utrecht, the Netherlands; Los Angeles; and Sapporo, Japan — shared their views on the themes of “Power Up for Cities: Sustainable Cities that Connect with Industries” and “Smart City and Innovative Entrepreneurship.”
In addition, Ko and Fukuoka Mayor Soichiro Takashima signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance smart city exchanges and achieve a livable city with sustainable development.
Ko and Utrecht Deputy Mayor Klaas Verschuure signed an MOU to achieve sustainable development goals thorough the exchange of information and experiences.
Ko said that the two cities have many common aspects, such as a commitment to smart city development, sustainable management, speeding up innovation and enhancing their competitiveness, adding that they can exchange ideas on sustainable public transportation, healthcare and other issues.
Ko also accompanied Verschuure on a YouBike ride around Taipei City Hall, with city mascots Bravo the Bear from Taipei and Miffy from Utrecht greeting them in front of city hall when they returned.
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