The Global Organization of Smart Cities (GO SMART), initiated by the Taipei City Government, was yesterday established in the capital and held its first meeting in the afternoon.
The launch event was held at the Smart City Summit and Expo at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center and attended by more than 100 city and industry representatives yesterday morning.
Su Liang (蘇亮), head of the GO SMART preparatory advisory committee, said the organization was prelaunched in March last year and has been founded to create a global platform for the exchange of smart city information, experiences, and associated problems and solutions.
So far, 130 members, including 92 cities, have joined the organization, he said.
“Taipei’s vision is to become a livable city, providing its citizens with lifestyles that are sustainable, high quality and continuously improving,” Taipei Deputy Mayor Teng Chia-chi (鄧家基) said. “To achieve these ends, Taipei takes advantage of smart technology to meet its residents’ needs.”
The Taipei Smart City Office was established in March 2016, and it has facilitated more than 160 proof-of-concept projects through public-private partnerships, Teng said.
The Taipei Computer Association said that the nation has developed great skill sets in terms of flexibility, speed and cost efficiency in the information and communication technology industry, bringing great advantages for developing smart cities, and that it has the potential to become a key contributor to smart cites.
GO SMART also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Local Government Association of Queensland on cooperation.
Queensland Government Trade and Investment Commissioner for Taiwan Patrick Hafens said that every city in Queensland has membership, ensuring that they remain at the forefront of smart city solutions.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
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