The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said on the 13th it will host the 2026 World Smart City Expo with the Ministry of Science and ICT and Busan Metropolitan City at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO) Exhibition Hall 1 from Sept. 9 to 11.
Launched in 2017, the event marks its 10th anniversary this year. As the largest Smart City international event in the Asia-Pacific region, governments, local governments, industry, experts, and the public from around the world have gathered to explore practical measures to advance sustainable urban development and improve quality of life. Since moving the venue to Busan last year, it has drawn more than 42,000 visitors, 457 corporations, and 54 countries.
In step with the government's AI grand transformation initiative, this year's event is expected to serve as the first public unveiling of the "K-AI City" policy. Under the slogan "Beyond Smart City, into AI City," it will cover a wide range of models from existing Smart Cities to next-stage, AI-based urban models.
K-AI City is an urban model that integrates AI technologies into the operation of diverse urban infrastructure, such as transportation facilities, to deliver optimized and intelligent city services. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) designated Wonju in Gangwon Province and Cheonan and Asan in South Chungcheong Province as pilot areas through a call on the 18th of last month and is pushing ahead with an AI-specialized pilot city project.
During the expo, a variety of programs will take place, including technology exhibitions and the opening ceremony, academic conferences, award ceremonies, and corporations briefings, and key domestic and international stakeholders will be invited to strengthen a global cooperation framework. The exhibition space will focus on innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence and Smart City, construction and infrastructure, future mobility, and energy and the environment. Wonju and Cheonan-Asan, selected as AI pilot cities, will set up a joint pavilion to showcase related technologies.
The academic conferences will provide a forum for policy discussion and exchange among industry, academia, research, and government on global priority issues such as AI cities and future mobility. In addition, tailored support measures will be offered to help corporations open sales channels, including export and purchasing consultations and open innovation for joint growth with large corporations.
Lee Gi-bong, director of urban policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), said, "Marking its 10th anniversary this year, the World Smart City Expo is a global platform that expands domestic and international cooperation toward a better tomorrow experienced through technology, and we ask for greater interest and participation across the event so it can serve as an opportunity to strengthen overseas expansion by domestic corporations and international cooperation."