Kaohsiung Shares Smart Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development with the Barcelona Metropolitan Area

On 11 and 12 June 2026, representatives from the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (AMB) had an advanced cooperation mission in Kaohsiung City under Community of Practice 9: Data-driven city & Digital Governance, in the IURC Programme to explore innovative approaches to climate resilience, digital governance, smart mobility and artificial intelligence.

The visit began at Kaohsiung’s Intelligent Transportation Center, where city officials presented the challenges and opportunities associated with managing mobility in a metropolitan area of approximately 2.7 million inhabitants. Delegates learned about the city’s integrated transport network, including bus services, public bicycle systems and mobility-as-a-service solutions designed to provide sustainable alternatives to private vehicle use. The city highlighted the growing role of digital technologies in transport planning and traffic management, including the use of real-time data, CCTV networks, weather information and AI-powered tools to optimise traffic flows and improve urban mobility.

Participants were also introduced to Kaohsiung’s vision for a “Smart Transportation Brain”, which combines data from multiple sources to support intelligent intersections, traffic management and evidence-based decision-making. Discussions covered the use of aggregated telecommunications data to better understand mobility patterns and support transport planning while respecting privacy requirements.

The programme continued with presentations on Kaohsiung’s broader digital transformation strategy and collaboration with industry partners, including Foxconn. Delegates learned about the development of CityGPT, an AI-enabled platform designed to integrate data across municipal departments and support city operations. The initiative aims to break down information silos and facilitate more efficient governance by combining data, AI models and decision-support tools within a shared digital ecosystem. Examples included AI-assisted analysis of traffic safety, citizen services and operational management.

On 12 June, the delegation visited the Water Information Center, where officials presented Kaohsiung’s approach to flood prevention and climate adaptation. The city showcased its network of pump stations, detention basins and digital monitoring systems that help manage water flows during typhoons and extreme rainfall events. AMB Delegates learned how real-time monitoring and remote operation systems strengthen the city’s capacity to respond to emergencies and protect vulnerable communities.

They presented the Smart Hydro Information Monitoring Network Platform, which integrates sensors, CCTV systems and AI-assisted monitoring tools to support flood detection, warning systems and emergency response. Expaining how the platform transforms large volumes of environmental data into actionable information tailored to the needs of different stakeholders and operational teams.

The visit concluded with presentations on the Digital Twin Platform and Sovereign AI Project. The Digital Twins Platform combines 3D city models, IoT devices and infrastructure data to support urban planning, asset management and disaster preparedness. The system incorporates information on buildings, public infrastructure, trees, pipelines and construction sites, creating a comprehensive digital representation of the city.

Delegates also learned about the Sovereign AI Project developed in collaboration with Linker Vision. The initiative explores how synthetic data, digital twins and vision-language AI models can support urban management and emergency response. By combining advanced analytics with local data governance and on-premises computing infrastructure, the project seeks to enhance the city’s capacity to anticipate risks, improve situational awareness and strengthen resilience.

The visit highlighted Kaohsiung’s commitment to integrating digital innovation, mobility management and climate adaptation into their urban development strategy. Through exchanges such as these, the IURC Programme continues to facilitate mutual learning between European and Asian cities while promoting innovative solutions to shared urban challenges.