The 11th Smart City Expo and the 2nd Net Zero City Expo showcase diverse applications of digital and green transformation. (Photo: Hsu Tsu-lin)
The 2024 Smart City Expo and 2050 Net Zero City Expo kicked off in Taipei on March 19, showcasing smart city technologies in transportation, healthcare, construction, manufacturing, security, and net-zero emissions applications.
This year's exhibition has marked a record-breaking scale, with a total of 600 exhibitors and 2,200 booths across the Taipei and Kaohsiung venues, attracting 112 city representatives and 1,697 international professional buyers, with the largest delegations coming from Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
Taiwan boosts green, smart transformation while fostering digital new Southbound
The Taiwanese government is working to shape Taiwan into an island of technology. As a leading nation in ICT and semiconductor industries, Taiwan has developed various smart and net-zero city solutions ready to be promoted to the world, said Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), secretary general to the president.
“A smart city must be a green city, and a green city must be a smart city”, he added.
Lin said he will work with the Office of International Cooperation in Strategic Industries, headed by Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津), senior advisor to the president, to launch a new digital New Southbound Policy incorporating the Five Plus Two Industry Innovation Plan, the Six Core Strategic Industries, and the New Southbound Policy under the Tsai administration.
The Executive Yuan has also passed the Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan 3.0 and the financial assistance measures for the new Southbound Policy, integrating the industry, talent, and capital to boost the digital and green transformation.
Secretary general to the president Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), vice premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦), and minister of the National Development Council (NDC) Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) and several other officials attended the opening ceremony on March 19. (Photo: Hsu Tsu-lin)
Taiwan-Thailand forums deepen bilateral exchange; Kaohsiung to host 1st City COP
This year's Smart City Expo features three highlights, according to Peng Shuang-lang (彭双浪), chairman of the Taipei Computer Association. First, the exhibition has expanded by 13% compared to last year, setting a new record. Secondly, there are delegates from 46 countries and regions, 112 cities, and 495 municipal dignitaries, 85 mayors and deputy mayors, as well as 1,697 international buyers, reaching historic highs.
Peng also noted that delegations from Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam were the largest number of foreign guests to Taiwan this year, indicating that the countries targeted by the New Southbound Policy have the closest economic development cooperation with Taiwan.
In addition, Germany visited Taiwan for the first time with a delegation of six cities, marking a major breakthrough for the event.
The Smart City Summit & Expo and the Net Zero City Expo took place at the Nangang Exhibition Hall for four days from March 19 to 22, and ran three days from March 21 to 23 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Hall, featuring city pavilions representing Taipei City, New Taipei City, Taoyuan City, Taichung City, Yunlin County, Chiayi City, Tainan City, Kaohsiung City, and Taitung County.
In addition, the NDC will host the 2nd Net Zero City Leaders Summit, while the Kaohsiung City Government will organize the City COP, inviting heads of cities from around the world.
Multiple Taiwan-Thailand exchange forums will be held during the event, with several delegates from Thailand joining to discuss smart transportation and healthcare advances with the Taiwanese government and business representatives.
Among the attendees include Sorawit Narupiti, chairman of the Thai Intelligent Transport Systems Association, Supakorn Siddhichai, executive vice president of the Digital Economy Development Agency of Thailand (depa), Pakkapol Leopairut, CFO of TPI Polene Power, and Patarapol Tularak, Secretary-general of the Thai Solid Waste Management Association (SWAT).
Home energy storage and energy-saving products offer household energy solutions
Eyeing the multibillion-dollar business opportunity in home energy storage, Tatung Forever Energy, a subsidiary of Tatung, debuted a system that combines solar power generation, energy storage, and smart energy management to offer safe, reliable, and efficient green energy solutions for households amid rising electricity prices.
Tony Wang (王聖銓), business manager at Tatung Forever Energy, said the company has become a Tesla Powerwall-accredited installer at the end of 2023, and has already installed thousands of charging stations.
In response to the need for energy efficiency in commercial offices and homes, Taiwan Perovskite Solar Corp (TPSC) partnered with window and door manufacturer Artificer Intelligence Window to launch "Windows ZERO," an energy-saving and power-generating window product, which was unveiled at Japan's World Smart Energy Week (WSEW) at the end of February this year, attracting about 500 visitors interested in collaboration.
Tatung Forever Energy, a verified installer of Tesla's home energy storage product Powerwall, unveils its solar+charging+storage system at the exhibition. (Photo: Hsu Tsu-lin)
TPSC's marketing project manager Kelly Yang (楊萃萍), said that this light-transmitting power-generating window can reduce noise, repel water, insulate heat, and generate electricity, and its façade power generation technology can also be applied to walls of buildings, making it suitable for densely populated urban areas.
It is expected that with the introduction of perovskite building materials, carbon emissions of constructions can be effectively reduced, she added.
In addition, TPSC is continuing the agrivoltaic experiments, including cooperation with the Taiwan Agricultural Research institute in planting tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, and shiitake mushrooms, to collect data on the growth of agricultural products and power generation.
Yang said that there was an inquiry from a Malaysian company on the first day of the event, which planned to install a shading and power generation facility in a 70,000-square-meter chili farm in the country.
TPSC and Artificer Intelligence Window jointly exhibits "Windows ZERO." (Photo: Hsu Tsu-lin)
The Ministry of the Environment established the Net Zero Sustainable Living Pavilion at this year's Net Zero City Expo, including three exhibition areas focusing on green technology, green cycle, and green living, providing guidance for the practice of net-zero green living ranging from necessities such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation, to areas such as technological monitoring, wastewater as a resource, and low-carbon intelligence.
Exhibition items include the My Hong-Te Water Refill Map application for bottled water reduction, fashion products made of recycled pineapple leaf fibers, applications of eco-friendly construction materials, and promotion of electric scooters, among others.
The Green Finance Zone was hosted by the Ministry of Finance, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), Yuanta Financial Holdings, and Cathay Holdings, with green and sustainable finance as the theme of the exhibition.
In response to the rising awareness of environmental protection among consumers, Yuanta Financial Holdings launched the Diamond-Gold Carbon Lucky Account to track carbon reductions of consumers' digital financial activities.
Project manager Stephanie Lin (林子寧) said that consumers will be able to earn discounts for their carbon reductions in the future, hoping to promote digital transactions as a way to reduce carbon emissions through the Zero-Carbon app.
Yuanta Financial Holdings introduces its Diamond-Gold Carbon Lucky Account, allowing users to see the carbon reductions of digital transactions. (Photo: Hsu Tsu-lin)
