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| Seoul Digital Foundation President Kang Yo-sik, second from right, greets visitors to the Seoul Pavilion during Smart City Summit and Expo 2023 at Nangang Exhibition Center in Taipei, Tuesday. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
By Ko Dong-hwan
The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday exhibited some of the city's best examples of how AI and other advanced future technologies can be applied to daily life during a global smart city expo in Taipei.
The Seoul Digital Foundation under the Seoul Metropolitan Government and three companies selected by the city government are joining Smart City Summit and Expo (SCSE) 2023 in northern Taiwan. The event is scheduled to run through Friday.
It is the first time for the city government to send a delegation to the annual summit in Taipei. Held at Nangang Exhibition Center, the event's main theme is "Digital Transformation Takes Smart Cities to New Heights."
The participating Korean companies are light detection and ranging (LiDAR) perception software provider Vueron Technology, AI-based data solutions provider CNAI and Aone Traffic Research and Development, the creator of a new LED traffic light indicator now in use across the city. They were hand-picked by the city government based on their innovation, marketability and global competitiveness, which is necessary in launching smart city technologies in all parts of the world.
The foundation, with representatives from the companies, operate Seoul Pavilion inside Nangang Exhibition Center. There, visitors can experience and feel how far the future technologies have come. The pavilion also explains digital-friendly policies set out by Seoul's city government and hosts a networking event for representatives of businesses and governments.
Kang Yo-sik, president of the Seoul Digital Foundation, said that the organization's participation in the SCSE this year is indicative of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's initiative to take another leap into becoming a globally leading smart city. The effort continues after Seoul was awarded a grand prize at last year's SCSE.
"People lined up at our pavilion to check out the hologram-based digital human solutions, smart pedestrians and LiDAR-based ITS (information technology strategy) solutions that are now in use in Seoul," Kang said. "We have shared experiences and knowhow from our previous win at SCSE 2022."
Kang was at the official opening of the Seoul Pavilion on Tuesday. The opening was also joined by representatives from the Korean exhibiting firms and Park Jung-sook, secretary-general of the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization ― better known as WeGO, a synonym of the group's former title World e-Government Organization.
A total of 47 countries and over 1,700 booths are participating in this year's event that features over 65 forums, with some 120,000 visitors expected to attend the four-day event. The opening on Tuesday was joined by Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai and Taiwan's Secretary-General to the President Lin Chia-lung.
The Seoul Digital Foundation on Friday is scheduled to sign a partnership with Taipei Computer Association for future cooperation on exchanges of projects and verification of their progress. The association organized this year's SCSE.
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