Smart city, net zero city expositions kick off in Taipei

Taipei, March 19 (CNA) The 2024 Smart City Summit & Expo (SCSE) and the 2050 Net Zero City Expo kicked off on Tuesday in Taipei, welcoming approximately 500 foreign guests from 112 cities in 46 countries.

The SCSE is being held for the 11th year, while the 2050 Net Zero City Expo is in its second year, jointly welcoming 495 city heads and city administrators from 112 cities and over 1,697 international professional buyers, according to Paul Peng (彭双浪), chairman of the event organizer Taipei Computer Association, at the opening ceremony.

The two expositions have been held together since last year, and involve enterprises and government departments sharing how 5G and AIOT (artificial intelligence of things) have been applied to building smarter and cleaner cities, Peng said.

The smart city expo will also take place in Kaohsiung on Thursday, and together the three exhibitions will host more than 600 companies and agencies presenting smart solutions on education, medical services, transportation, security, architecture etc., representing 13 percent growth from last year, Peng said.

National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said in his opening remarks that Taiwan used to be famous for Computex, the annual computer expo held in Taipei, "as hardware products are Taiwanese companies' strength."

"Building a smart city involves leaping out of the hardware thinking box and finding solutions for future cities in advance," he said, adding that the goal of reaching net zero in 2050 is another step further in the development process.

The net zero city expo featured a city leaders summit on Tuesday that included several forums on different topics such as energy transition, just transition, and lifestyle transition.

Forums on net zero transition and the global carbon market will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2.