The concept of smart city was extended from IBM’s business initiative of creating a “Smarter Planet.” By utilizing cutting edge technologies like IoT devices, cloud computing, mobile internet capabilities and applying them to public utilities, buildings, and systems in our daily lives, smart solutions allow us to achieve higher work efficiencies and better quality of life by integrating the human element into technology.

In the past decade, Taiwanese local governments have been actively striving toward the intelligent development of their cities in order to improve the quality of living standards for their citizens. As results, the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has awarded Taipei and Taichung each with the honorable “Intelligent Community of the Year” award in 2006 and 2013.

In response to the global smart city trend, the Taipei Computer Association (TCA) has gathered the forces of Taiwanese companies and institutions from various industries to form the Smart City and IoT Industries Alliance, and to organize the annual Smart City Summit & Expo. The first edition of the Smart City Summit & Expo in 2014 began its oversea relations with the forming of cross-strait relationships with major Chinese cities. The event in 2015, further reached out to the world through inviting leaders, visionaries, and decision-makers from across the globe to establish Taiwan as the center stage for smart city developments in the Asia-Pacific.