Becoming a “digital nation” and an “intelligent island” is the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) development blueprint for the nation to enhance competition, the party’s presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday.
At a ceremony in Taipei celebrating the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Taichung, Keelung City and multinational networking equipment manufacturer Cisco Systems to create “smart city” solutions in the two cities, Tsai illustrated her policy of maintaining Taiwan’s “speed in progress” by analyzing information in the era of the “Internet of Things (IoT)” and “Internet of Everything.”
In partnership with Cisco, Taichung will focus on building a smart public transportation network, Taichung Deputy Mayor Zhang Guang-yao (張光瑤) said.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
The city government is also aiming to build a low-carbon city, Zhang said.
The Taichung Gateway District will serve as the test ground for cutting-edge urban technologies, which the local government hopes will result in a community that integrates smart production, ecology and living, he said.
Keelung Mayor Lin Yu-chang (林右昌) said that his city’s partnership with Cisco is expected to help create dynamic traffic and environmental management systems, energy control, business services and smart city management.
He said the city government is looking at the possibility of building a Cisco Innovation Center in Keelung.
Tsai said she believes that Taiwan, being one of the world’s major centers of information and communication technology, could play a key role in the IoT and the global supply chain of “Industry 4.0” by using its existing industrial infrastructure.
“We have small and medium enterprises that act and respond quickly, perceptive technology communities and a tech-savvy young generation,” she said.
“We have said before that the DPP’s general strategy for Taiwan’s industrial upgrade is based on three main approaches: connecting with the local [needs], with the world and with the future. Similarly, our plans in the IoT and intelligence application industry correspond to all three,” Tsai said.
“First, establishing ‘intelligent cities’ could not only enhance the life quality of the residents with technology, but also create a domestic demand market and local industries and job opportunities. We would also strive to set up different cross-country platforms open for global cooperation, such as the signing of the memorandum with Cisco today,” she said.
The DPP has also discussed forming an “IoT volunteers group” with Cisco systems to create “smart city solutions” in Taipei and Keelung City with local governments and experts in the related industries, including representatives from various technology enterprises, both domestic and foreign, such as TSMC, Mediatek, Quanta, Asustek, Pegatron, Tatung, Cisco, IBM and Microsoft, Tsai said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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