As the global wave of AI brings innovation and challenges to various industries, the Taichung City Government’s Digital Development Bureau hosted the inaugural Smart Taichung Digital Development Forum today (7th) to delve into the latest AI, cybersecurity, and sustainability trends. Deputy Mayor Zheng Zhao-xin noted that to achieve the vision that “digital capability is city competitiveness,” the city government is advancing its smart city initiatives and has partnered with Microsoft Taiwan to foster collaboration on smart governance and AI-driven sustainability. This effort aims to optimize city management, support energy transition, and promote sustainable development, ultimately making Taichung a smarter, more livable, and happier city.

Today’s forum brought together prominent speakers from Taiwan and abroad, including Deputy President Chen Tsu-han of the National University of Singapore, CEO Li Wei-bin of the Information Security Center, HonHai Research Institute, Professor Chen Yun-nong of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering, National Taiwan University, Dean Li Zong-han of the College of Artificial Innovative Intelligence, Tamkang University, Chief Sustainability Officer Huang Yi-ying of Victor Taichung, President Yang Sheng-yong of Zero+ College, and Frank Kuo, Sales VP of Taiwan, TXOne Networks Taiwan. They provided valuable insights into the latest trends in digital sustainability and cybersecurity. With over 500 participants from industry, government, and academia, the event sparked dynamic discussions.

Deputy Mayor Zheng highlighted Taichung’s advantages, including its transportation network, industrial clusters, talent pool, and prime location—which continue to attract investments from global and domestic enterprises, reinforcing the city's competitiveness. Since the launch of the Digital Development Bureau, Taichung has fostered collaborations with leading tech giants like Microsoft, AWS, and Cisco. Today, Deputy President Chen Tsu-han was invited to share Singapore’s development experience, offering valuable insights to guide Taichung’s smart city transformation.

Deputy Mayor Zheng mentioned that to keep pace with AI’s rapid advancement, the Digital Affairs Bureau was renamed the Digital Development Bureau on New Year’s Day, underscoring the city’s dedication to digital development. Looking ahead, the bureau aims to harness forward-looking technologies to enhance municipal governance, drive development, and cultivate talent. It will also strengthen partnerships between industry, academia, and research institutions in ICT applications, supporting central Taiwan’s industries in transitioning toward digital transformation, net-zero sustainability, and enhanced cybersecurity.

Lin Gu-long, Director of the Digital Development Bureau, noted that Taichung is collaborating with major tech firms like Microsoft Taiwan to advance smart governance, AI-driven sustainability, and digital and cybersecurity talent development. Additionally, Taichung is addressing the rising energy demands of AI computing by actively promoting renewable energy development. The city has pioneered Taiwan’s first locally government-led Shishuike River Drainage Small Hydropower Plant, with the second phase now in progress to install additional generators for improved energy efficiency. Upon completion, the facility will generate over 1,000 green energy certificates annually, reinforcing the city’s efforts in energy transition and sustainable water resource development.