Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

On March 28, Mayor Chiang Wan-an attended the opening ceremony of the 2023 Smart City Mayors’ Summit. He delivered a welcoming address to the participants at the start of the conference. 

Chiang remarked that as the capital city of Taiwan, Taipei City proactively connects with the global community and exhibit the strengths and expertise of Taiwan to the world. The development of smart city is one of these areas where the island excels in, as related policies and experiences make Taipei a valuable international partner. He added that the Mayors’ Summit is a highlight of the Smart City Expo, featuring municipal leaders around the world sharing their experience through this platform.

Recalling that the spread of the pandemic in 2020 led to tremendous impacts upon people’s lives, Taiwan’s edge in ICT and comprehensive pandemic prevention policy allowed the city government to continue organizing the Smart City Summit and Expo. In response to the strict travel restrictions in place around the world, we’ve adopted a virtual-physical integration strategy. Through this approach, we’ve continued to attract global mayors and city representatives to join the event over the past two years. Now, with the return of physical exhibitions and the lifting of travel restrictions, we are delighted to welcome guests in person once again. 

The theme selected for this year’s summit is “Driving Industry Development through Public Service Needs,” seeking to address the global focus on post-pandemic economic recovery and digital transformation across various sectors. Taipei City is regarded an important financial, commercial, and tech center in Taiwan – and in Asia as well. Therefore, its digital transformation is of utmost importance. The city government invests much effort into upgrading its IT systems and cybersecurity. He also shared his vision of making his administration a service-oriented government and introducing more smart solutions to tackle urban problems.

At the end of his speech, the mayor pointed out that Taipei City has proactively engaged the world and assist in major events, from supporting Ukrainian refugees to taking part in international organizations. It also shared its knowhow on COVID-19 prevention with its sister cities, as well as dispatching a search and rescue team to Turkey after the country experienced a devastating earthquake in February. He expressed his gratitude to all the attendees and look forward to forging a better future together.