The Government of Malaysia has announced a new industrial strategy, including the aim of building 3,000 new smart factories. The Japanese Prefecture of Aichi, which has nominated seven cities to act as Smart City pilot sites, has nominated the City of Nisshin to be a pilot for Smart Disaster Planning. The Government of Mongolia will adopt smart technologies, especially in capital Ulan Bator, as part of an update to its New Revitalisation Policy. Singapore has updated its 2014 city-state Smart strategy. The new Nation 2.0 strategy is a major revision of the country’s smart programme, with a new focus on integrating AI into its city, industrial, logistics and financial smart strategies.

Malaysia announces Smart Industrial Strategy

The Government of Malaysia has announced a new industrial strategy, including the aim of building 3,000 new smart factories. The plan was announced by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul. The New Industrial Master Plan sets out out the objective of building the new smart factories by 2030, and measures for Smart Technology Uptake will be announced before the end of the year.

For more information: New industrial blueprint promotes digitalization of manufacturing industry and aims to build 3,000 smart factories

Aichi Prefecture Smart Disaster Planning

The Japanese Prefecture of Aichi, which has nominated seven cities to act as Smart City pilot sites, has nominated the City of Nisshin to be a pilot for Smart Disaster Planning. The intention is to explore how smart technologies can assist city government and residents protect themselves better in the event of a disaster. The pilot will also raise awareness of disaster planning among residents, and support improved disaster prevention.

For more information: Digital disaster prevention services” for Nisshin City Smart City Model Project – Aichi Prefecture

Mongolia Revitalisation Policy

The Government of Mongolia has strengthened its New Revitalisation Policy, an economic renewal programme. The Government has identified three key directions: adoption of smart technologies; green growth; and cultivating human capital. The Government will focus on smart city, digital energy and tech sector growth. Working groups have been formed on 5G, smart transportation, green energy and smart mining.

For more information: Mongolia New Revitalisation Policy

Singapore announces Nation 2.0

Singapore has updated its 2014 city-state Smart strategy. The new Nation 2.0 strategy is a major revision of the country’s smart programme, with a new focus on integrating AI into its city, industrial, logistics and financial smart strategies. The Government is set to introduce a Government Infrastructure Act in 2025 to improve resilience and security of critical national infrastructure. It has also announced a S$120 million ‘AI for Science’ fund to seed AI based developments across scientific areas key to Singapore’s society and economy. These include advanced materials research and biomedical and health sciences.

For more information: Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 policy focuses on AI and building resilience

Vietnam Digital Industry Bill addresses AI, digital assets

The Vietnamese government has introduced a draft law for the digital industry aimed at accelerating economic growth. The draft outlines components such as digital technology research and development, infrastructure, digital ecosystems, and regulations governing digital businesses and products. The law, produced by the country’s Ministry of Information and Communications, stresses the importance of incorporating digital assets and clarifying the definition of semiconductors. The draft also creates guidelines on management and development of AI technologies.

For more information: Le projet de loi sur l’industrie numérique aborde l’intelligence artificielle et les actifs numériques.

Seoul to adopt full IoT for social safety

The Korean capital of Seoul is to fully adopt IoT to protect and support the most socially vulnerable in society, including the elderly, women, the disabled, and children. The City is initiating a programme beginning next year to implement the IoT infrastructure and services required. It will begin with a pilot project to install integrated safety smart poles to control traffic in designated child safety zones in the city.

More information: 서울시, 똑똑한 사물인터넷(IoT) 시민 안전분야에 본격 활용 나선다 : 스마트시티 종합포털 – SMART CITY KOREA

Cambodia forms Smart City alliance with Dfinity

Cambodia’s Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation has enlisted Swiss technology foundation Dfinity to create the technology, research and entrepreneurial infrastructure for Cambodian Smart City projects. Dfinity is the foundation behind Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) blockchain. Cambodia wants to build smart cities based on decentralised blockchain, and integrate blockchain into its national infrastructure.

More information: Dfinity, Cambodia agree on advancing smart city innovation

Incheon City develops own hydrogen technology

The City of Incheon in Korea has adopted its own hydrogen technology. It possesses the world’s largest liquefied hydrogen production facility. It also distributes the largest number of hydrogen buses in Korea.

More information: 인천시, 수소에너지 독창적 브랜드 디자인 공개 : 스마트시티 종합포털 – SMART CITY KOREA

Nagai City aims for Society 5.0

Nagai City in Japan’s central Yamagata Prefecture is looking to adopt technology that can implement a Smart City vision founded on “Society 5.0”. This is a society where people can live comfortably, and connect online and real spaces through technology to solve social problems.

More information: スマートシティ長井の実現に向けた取り組み／長井市ホームページ

Beijing releases 38 smart city requirements

Beijing has issued 38 smart city scenario innovation requirements. The Chinese capital launched its smart city scene innovation and opening work in 2023. A conference and workshop in August has drawn up 11 ‘first-of-its-kind’ scenes as well as the requirements. These include application of large language models (LLMs) for public government consultation, and a big model service platform for the city’s government.

More information: Beijing releases 38 smart city scenario innovation requirements – Taibo.com

Korea-Vietnam Smart City Cooperation begins

Collaboration between Korea and Vietnam on Smart City development is set to begin in August 2024. A cooperation centre for collaboration between the two countries is set to open and will become a joint development hub for Smart City programmes. In addition to collaboration and support for IT and construction industry development, the centre will become a focus for international joint research, technological exchanges, Smart City certification, legal system guidelines, planning and development of pilot trials.

More information: Korea-Vietnam ‘Smart City Cooperation’ Begins in Full Swing: Smart City Comprehensive Portal – SMART CITY KOREA

Korea strengthens Smart City collaboration with Saudi Arabia

Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is expanding its cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the development of Smart City, high speed transportation, and building and construction technologies. The two countries held talks in Seoul in late July between the Saudi Minister of Commerce and Korea’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Among the areas the two countries’ cooperation will now include are smart infrastructure.

More information: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Seeking Korea-Saudi Infrastructure Cooperation Plans: Smart City Comprehensive Portal – SMART CITY KOREA

South Korea announces 4th Smart City Plan

South Korea has announced its “4th Smart City Comprehensive Plan” for the years 2024 to 2028. The plan aims to build upon previous initiatives by fostering “a smart city of coexistence and leap forward”. It has been drawn up by the country’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT), and approved by the National Smart City Committee. The plan outlines four major strategies: expanding sustainable space models, constructing AI and data-driven city foundations, creating a citizen-friendly industrial ecosystem, and promoting the global expansion of K-smart cities. The plan involves utilisation of data hubs to develop and implement “fast and economical smart solutions.”

More information here: Creating a sustainable, co-prosperous city with regionally optimized smart services. : Smart City Comprehensive Portal – SMART CITY KOREA

Gwangmyeong City to be Smart Green City pilot

South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) has announced an investment of KRW 160 billion ($115 million) in Gwangmyeong City to turn it into a pilot for climate-neutral smart city technologies. According to MOLIT, the goal of the ‘Gwangmyeong-type carbon neutral smart city’ project is to build ‘a circulation infrastructure using cutting-edge smart technology and systematically operate carbon neutrality, including carbon neutral city data’.

More information here: MOLIT-Gwangmyeong City invests KRW 160 billion to grow into a ‘small-sized smart city’: Smart City Comprehensive Portal – SMART CITY KOREA

Japan approves 34 smart regions, 36 cities

The Japanese Government has approved 34 smart regions and 36 smart cities for investment in 2024. One project has been selected as a future technology pilot, eight to target regional issues and 13 targeting infrastructure and transport issues. Six projects have been selected to be mobility-as-a-service regional demonstrators and eight as urban mobility demonstrators. All the projects will be implemented under public-private partnership according to the Government’s PPP Platform, and will follow the objectives of Japan’s Digital Garden City strategy.

More information here: FY2024 Smart City-related Project Selection Results – Science, Technology and Innovation – Cabinet Office

Vietnam Ha Nam Province plans smart cities

Vietnam’s Ha Nam Province has announced plans for development of a major smart city together with development of secondary smaller smart cities and smart industrial parks in the province, located in the country’s north east close to Hai Phong, the world’s 28th largest port. The Province government has signed MoUs with hyundai Engineering, Vietnamese firm Bitexco multinational, and with the Korea Overseas Infrastructure Urban Development Corporation (KIND).

More information here: Ha Nam province teams up with Korea Overseas Infrastructure Corporation to develop smart city [Economy] – VIETJO Vietnam News

China publishes new smart city plan

China’s Government National Data Bureau has published a plan that revises smart city planning guidance throughout the country. The new plan, entitled “Guiding Opinions on Deepening the Development of Smart Cities and Promoting the Digital Transformation of Cities” aims at greater integration of technologies, and a closer alignment of smart city technologies with the Chinese Communist Party vision of future societies and Chinese society. As part of this, the plan calls for a revision of the technical architecture of smart cities and a renewed focus on data management.

• https://www.gov.cn/lianbo/fabu/202405/content_6952512.htm

Saitama launches Super City project

Saitama Prefecture in Japan has launched a ‘Super City’ project to promote urban and community renewal in the face of declining birthrate and an ageing population. The Prefecture is welcoming private company involvement in projects that will rejuvenate a group of related cities in the prefecture.

• 県が市町村のまちづくりを支援する「埼玉版スーパー・シティ」（後編)

Korea releases 4th Smart City Plan

Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has released the Fourth National Plan for Smart Cities. The Ministry’s National Smart City Committee plan is intended to present a new direction for smart cities in the country. The new plan calls for the development of open source-based solutions in connection with data hubs distributed to metropolitan local governments. All smart city data hubs will include the use of AI and digital twin technologies.

More information here: ｢제4차 스마트도시종합계획(안)(’24~’28년)｣ 확정 : 스마트시티 종합포털 – SMART CITY KOREA

Kobe City announces AI ordinance

Kobe City, the seventh largest city in Japan, has introduced the first AI ordinance for smart cities in Japan. It aims to enable proactive use of AI to promote effective and efficient city administration while protecting the rights and interests of Kobe residents. It prohibits the use of personal data in generative AI systems, or the use of generative AI in City Council minutes. It also provides guidance for use of AI in City schools. The city is conducting a pilot project to test out the technology.

More information here: 神戸市、全国初の包括的AI条例を制定–スマートシティ目指しデータ可視化ダッシュボード第3弾も – CNET Japan

Korea Smart City Tech Discovery Project

Korea has launched a Smart City Innovation Technology Project. The purpose is to discover and demonstrate challenging and innovative technologies in the private sector, and to support early commercialization and market development of innovative technologies by securing empirical cases. The project is being funded by the government to a total of 1.25 billion won in support for 3 to 4 technologies.

Project details can be found at: 「2024년 스마트도시 혁신기술 발굴사업」 공모 공고

New Smart City in Japan’s Fukuoka

A new smart city development has been announced in Fukuoka on Kyusha Island. It is claimed as Japan’s largest Smart City development to date, and will be funded to 100 billion yen. The site will be developed from regeneration of the former Hakozaki campus of Kyusha University, one of the country’s oldest universities. The project is being managed by Kyushu University together with the Urban Renaissance Agency. A corporate partnership to lead the construction comprises: Sumitomo Corporation, JR Kyushu, Nishi-Nippon Railroad, Saibu Gas, and Nishinippon Shimbun.

Further information here: 九州大箱崎キャンパス跡地にスマートシティ誕生へ 国内最大規模再開発事業の優先交渉権者が決定|不動産投資の健美家

China issues AI Law Model 2.0

China has released an updated version of its AI Law. The AI Law Model 2.0 was agreed at a national meeting of expert bodies. It extends the requirements of the original law, agreed in August 2023, but separates different compliance obligations in a move to simplify the law in practice. The updated law places greater emphasis on open source development, formulates new compliance guidelines and clarifies liability reduction, IP rules and handling training data and personal information in development.

The draft of the new AI Model Law 2.0 draft:

《人工智能示范法2.0（专家建议稿）》重磅发布 重视AI开源发展、构建知识产权创新规则 – 21世纪经济报道

Kakogawa seeks Smart City demonstrators

The City of Kakogawa in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, is seeking Smart City technology demonstrators. The city is looking at future challenges and looking for technologies that might address these. Challenges being looked at include: adopting AI for city provided services; improving work efficiency; paperless resident services; and tackling school absences. The city says that it is looking to help promote citizen-centred smart city technologies.

Link to requirement:

未来の課題解決に向けた技術実証を募集します（デジタル技術実証サポート）／加古川市

Hiratsuka City national demonstrator for self driving buses

Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, has carried out a demonstration of autonomous driving on existing public bus routes in the city as part of a pilot project of Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT). The demonstration was carried out at Level 2 autonomous driving. The pilot is aiming to achieve Level 4 ultimately.

Link to story:

【神奈川県平塚市】国土交通省の自動運転実証調査事業に採択 ～平塚駅南口エリアで自動運転バス実証実験～ – アイサンテクノロジー株式会社|ITS/自動運転

Japan builds new industrial strategy around AI

Japan is creating a national strategy and industrial support policies around AI that aim to secure digital infrastructure such as semiconductors and promote the use of AI. The size of the Japanese AI industry is expected to grow to approximately 1.1 trillion yen in 2027. In addition to software and computing, industries expected to benefit include: manufacturing, construction/logistics, information and communications and healthcare.

Link to report:

일본의 AI 정책과 실제 사례 : 스마트시티 종합포털 – SMART CITY KOREA

Smart City Korea recruits SMBs

Smart City Korea, the country’s national smart city development agency, is recruiting small and medium sized businesses to support creation of advanced solutions using technologies such as AI and big data aimed at smaller businesses. Equipping smaller companies with technologies employed by the largest helps promote urban regeneration and employment in smaller cities and towns.

Link to requirement:

2024년 중소기업 스마트서비스 지원사업 공고 : 스마트시티 종합포털 – SMART CITY KOREA

Vietnam plans to green Ho Chi Minh City

The Vietnamese Government is seeking to turn Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon, into a sustainable green city through the adoption of a smart green industrial strategy. The Government aims to replace Ho Chi Minh City’s current industries with smarter technology, industrial automation and digital transformation. The announcement was made by Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communication.

Official Government News Agency:

Hô Chi Minh-Ville vise la zéro émission nette

Tokyo embarks on Minato City development

Tokyo has begun a program of collaboration with private companies to accelerate redevelopment in Minato City in Tokyo’s southwest. Minato is host to a number of major companies, universities and embassies. The collaboration will focus initially on redevelopment of Tokyo Port City, and will be led by Tokyo Land Corporation as prime contractor.

東急不動産×東京都港区、ポートシティ竹芝を中心に連携事業の共創を開始 | TECH+（テックプラス）

Korea National Smart City: details released

Korean government development agency Smart City Korea has released details of smart city projects slated for Busan and Sejeong City. The two projects comprise  Korea’s National Pilot City programme. Multinational companies are invited to bid as part of consortia that include Korean firms. Applications can be made to smartcity@kaia.re.kr until Monday 8th of April.

「스마트시티 국가시범도시 혁신서비스 모델 검증․확산」사업 시행 추가 공고 : 스마트시티 종합포털 – SMART CITY KOREA

Indonesia Nusantara: Smart City opportunities

Indonesia is advancing plans for its new capital city, Nusantara. The new capital will be a smart city. The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has engaged with the Indonesian government to identify opportunities for providers of smart city, smart infrastructure and transportation technologies. The USTDA has prepared briefings for US companies to help them identify opportunities and engage with them.

Indonesia: New Capital Smart City Business Briefing and Financing Roundtable – USTDA

US-Singapore ASEAN partnership on Smart City AI

At a meeting in October, the White House and Singapore have agreed to deepen collaboration on smart city developments, with a new focus on climate resilience. The two countries have committed to establish a Smart Cities Programme on AI, and to deliver smart city capacity-building to neighbouring countries in the ASEAN bloc. The two countries have also committed to deepening cooperation on advanced manufacturing and logistics, especially around electronics and semiconductor products.

The White House statement is here.

Japan aims for 1,500 Smart Cities by 2027

Japan is aiming to drive up the number of participating cities in its Digital Garden City Nation initiative to 1,500 by 2027. The country is facing demographic and nationwide depopulation crises. The Digital Garden City Nation is the Japanese Government’s naional Smart City strategy aiming to address these joint crises.

More information is available on the Japanese Government’s Cabinet Secretariat website.

Kurayoshi City reviews Smart City Strategy

Kurayoshi, a city in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, is reviewing its Smart City strategy in the light of the Japanese Government’s Digital Garden City Nation strategy, and is inviting web-based contributions by November 8th from interested parties.

Further information and full contact details available here.

Note: the date given on the website appears to give the wrong year. The web page (per Google) was published October 2023.

Korea go-ahead for Smart City pilots

In October, South Korea ‘s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport approved a number of new Smart City projects. These include a pilot of Al-based demand response transport in Jung-gu; an intelligent robot crime prevention pilot in Sunon, Gyeonggi-do, radar-based traffic accident prevention in Seoul; Al-based road safety monitoring in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do; and a Smart e-Call service in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, to detect accidents through a motion-sensing IoT terminal.

Further details can be for found on the Korean Government website here.

China blocks AI and IoT open source sites

The Chinese Government has blocked leading open source resources for AI development, including AI for IoT and embedded smart device AI. The Cyberspace Administration of China, an executive arm of the CCP, blocked access to Hugging Face, a leading open source development platform for AI and AI related IoT and embedded device software. GitHub, owned by Microsoft, another open source site for IoT and AI development, is also being intermittently blocked by China’s Government.

A discussion of the block in the ChinaTalk substack is here.

Ho-Chi-Minh City to become a Smart City by 2030

The Vietnamese City of Ho-Chi-Minh (former Saigon) has announced plans to become a smart city by 2030. The City is launching various activities and plans this year in a bid to begin establishing a Smart City framework. The country’s Ministry of Information and Communication has reported that the City curently ranks second nationally in terms of Digital Transformation Index (DTI). This year it received the ASOCIO 2023 Award by the Asia and Oceania Information Industry Organization, or ASOCIO, in the “Excellent Digital Government” category.

Information on the Vietnam Government official news portal can be found here.

Malaysia launches $20bn industrial modernisation plan

The Malaysian Government has launched a $20 billion industrial strategy, NIMP 2030, to transform the country’s economy. The strategy envisages modernisation of manufacturing, a shift to more high tech industries, and increasing the competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises. Government will invest 7 billion ringgit, and is seeking 950 billion ringgit in foreign investment.

More information on Malaysia’s NIMP 2030 can be found here.

Taiwan promotes Koahsiung as model Smart City development

The Government of Taiwan is promoting the development of the City of Kaohsiung in the country’s south as a flagship for its Smart City programme. The Government envisages the Kaohsiung development as representing a ‘model’ for other developments in Taiwan as well as the basis for exporting Smart City developments to other countries. Focus includes: development of AI and IoT for urban transportation, medical care, net-zero transformation, as well as development of cloud based urban analytics. Developing disaster resilience is another key focus of the Kaohsiung Smart City programme.

A Government of Taiwan announcement is here and a Taiwan Business Today article on the city is here.