Vietnam charts path to mature smart cities with AI at the core
Vietnam is shifting from pilot smart city projects to full-scale implementation, using technology to tackle pressing urban challenges like traffic, flooding, and energy efficiency.
On December 23, the 2025 Vietnam-Asia Smart City Summit opened in Hanoi, organised by the Vietnam Software & IT Services Association (VINASA) in collaboration with the Hanoi People’s Committee and under the patronage of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MST). The summit marked a turning point for smart city development in Vietnam, ushering in a phase of implementation, standardisation, and effectiveness, driven by Decree No. 269/2025/ND-CP and accelerated AI adoption.
How Southeast Asia’s smart cities can unlock the next wave of AI with real-time, connected data
Southeast Asia’s cities are approaching a defining decade. Rapid urbanisation continues across the region, and earlier projections from McKinsey Global Institute suggest that Southeast Asia’s urban areas could see around 90 million more residents by 2030. This growth drives economic opportunity but also heightens pressure on transport, energy, public safety, and municipal services. Even cities that have invested in digital tools struggle with rising complexity as climate risks and population demands increase.
Singapore: Milestones and Momentum of a Smart Nation
Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), is a whole-of-nation effort to create a thriving digital future for all. The vision is to build better, meaningful and fulfilled lives for Singaporeans through seamless technology integration.
Over the years, digital technologies have become central to how people live, work and play, offering new opportunities while also presenting challenges to individual well-being and social harmony. In 2024, Smart Nation 2.0 was introduced, shifting the focus from building capabilities to using technology more effectively to transform Singapore’s future.
UAE shines as global incubator for startups in smart mobility solutions
The United Arab Emirates has established a pioneering, modern, and integrated transport ecosystem, supported by world-class infrastructure and an extensive network of roads, bridges, metro, and tram systems.
This has been further enhanced by the introduction of individual smart mobility solutions, including electric scooters and bicycles, which complement the country’s modern transport landscape and enable community members to reach their destinations in a fast and cost-effective manner.
PH: Naga City launches AI command center for smarter governance
Naga City has launched its artificial intelligence (AI) Command Center, an initiative aimed at strengthening the city’s disaster response capabilities and enabling flood risk forecasting once it becomes fully operational.
In a Facebook post last Monday, Naga City Mayor Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo said the initiative marks a strategic shift from purely reactive crisis response to predictive, intelligence-assisted governance, positioning the city to prepare for AI-enabled systems by 2026.