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Sunday, 6.07.2025
Transforming Government since 2001

These oldest cities demonstrate that tradition and innovation can coexist harmoniously, setting a precedent for urban development worldwide

Asia is a continent of dualities. Here, hypermodern skyscrapers tower over ancient temples, and centuries-old customs coexist with cutting-edge innovation. Nowhere is this contrast more striking than in its oldest cities, where history isn’t just preserved but lived. From the brightly lit streets of Bangkok to the quiet elegance of Kyoto, these cultural powerhouses demonstrate that smart cities aren’t just about sleek technology but about reimagining the past for the future.

Read more: Tech meets tradition: How Asia’s oldest cities are adapting to the smart revolution

Asia and Europe dominate the top 20 in this year’s revamped IMD Smart City Index.

The study, produced by The Smart City Observatory (SCO), part of the IMD World Competitiveness Center (WCC), combines hard data and survey responses to show the extent to which technology is enabling cities to address the challenges they face to achieve a higher quality of life for their inhabitants.

Read more: Asian and European citizens see their cities as the ‘smartest’, finds 2023 IMD Smart City Index

Post-pandemic and over the long term, much of the digital shift towards the 'contact-free' economy is irreversible

Roundtable panellists:

  • Yash Patodia, partner and portfolio manager, Wellington Management;
  • Fan Cheuk Wan, chief investment officer, Asia Private Banking and Wealth Management, HSBC;
  • Julie Koo, managing director head of Citi Investment Management Sales, APAC Citi Private Bank

Moderator: Genevieve Cua, wealth editor, The Business Times

ASIA is widely expected to pick up speed as a global economic powerhouse, post-pandemic. We ask the experts for their views on the likely impact Asia tech would make on digital transformation, and their strongest investible ideas.

Read more: Asia's big digital transformation

Asia’s city leaders are among the world’s most forward-thinking when it comes to smart cities. In fact, the Asia-Pacific region is set to account for 40% of the global smart city spending, or $800 billion by 2025 and 80% of all economic activities is expected to shift to cities in the years to come.

Rapid urbanization, demographic shifts, climate change and advancements in technology have all been drivers for disruption for a need for smarter cities. This transformation has been further accelerated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which revealed vulnerabilities, but also prompted cities to seek out new technologies to help them deal with COVID-related disruptions.

Read more: Unlocking Citizen-centric Smart Cities in Asia

  • Biometric facial recognition technology is becoming increasingly accepted, including in Southeast Asia
  • Papago has developed Face8, a popular face recognition tech across industries in Taiwan, which has begun to make inroads in SEA

It was not too long ago that biometric identification methods became accepted means to authenticate a customer’s identity in the financial services sector. First fingerprints became commonplace, followed by voice recognition tech

Read more: Can facial recognition tech boost Asia’s biometric acceptance?

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