The EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia–Australasia Programme extends its appreciation to the Office of the Chief Minister of Penang and the Mayor of Seberang Perai for coordinating a series of multi-stakeholder (quadruple helix) dialogues in preparation for Seberang Perai City Council’s participation in the IURC Global Thematic Networking Workshops at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona from 4–6 November 2025.
Between September and October 2025, Seberang Perai actively contributed to four thematic clusters:
- Cluster 1 – Sustainable Mobility
- Cluster 2 – Strategic Sectors
- Cluster 5 – Climate Adaptation
- Cluster 4 – Circular Economy (session held on 4 November)
To support the city’s engagement and prepare for exchanges with EU and Asia–Australasia partner cities, MBSP held extensive consultations involving 18 categories of local and regional stakeholders, including:
Department of Environment; Indah Water Konsortium (IWK); Department of Wildlife Protection; Department of Forestry; Assemblyman for Bukit Tengah; Malaysia Civil Defence Force (JPAM); EXCO for Bukit Tengah; Department of Fisheries; Department of Drainage and Irrigation; researchers and scientists from local universities; village headmen; Penang Development Board; Think City; fishermen communities along the Juru River; Penang Green Council; Penang Global Tourism; JCI Batu Kawan; and numerous private-sector partners, notably Auto-City Group, which played a central role in hosting and facilitating the inclusive dialogue sessions.
These exchanges contributed directly to two cluster meetings on 5 November 2025, which brought together cities from Europe and Asia–Australasia, including Prato (Italy), Gangtok (India), Coimbra (Portugal) and Jeonju (Republic of Korea).
The participating cities agreed to continue working jointly as an Alliance of IURC Learning Cities, with discussions converging on pilot ideas for sustainable smart eco-tourism, including the use of digital tools and AI-based information platforms to:
- encourage number of overnight stays,
- develop creative, environmentally responsible tourism attractions,
- promote heritage preservation, and
- explore virtual eco-tourism experiences that transform cultural and natural assets into long-lasting, accessible tourism journeys.
These efforts demonstrate Seberang Perai’s commitment to collaborative, multi-stakeholder governance and position the city as an active contributor to the global dialogue on sustainable and inclusive urban development.