WeGO Expands Global Smart City Partnerships at 2025 World Smart City Expo and Beyond

 

[Busan, Jul 18] – The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) continues to strengthen global cooperation and expand its smart city network with city governments, development agencies, and international experts during and around the 2025 World Smart City Expo (WSCE). The World Smart City Expo (WSCE) is one of Asia’s largest exhibitions dedicated to showcasing innovations, best practices, and solutions in smart urban development. This year’s theme, “Next City For All,” highlights inclusive and AI-driven city development. The opening ceremony will feature keynote speeches from notable figures like Paul Zikopoulos (IBM) and Professor Dennis Hong (UCLA), emphasizing the event’s global significance. Key programs included smart mobility showcases, business matchmaking, and exhibitions like Busan’s Eco Delta Smart City Pavilion. The event provides a unique opportunity for governments and industries to collaborate on future city solutions, foster investment, and explore cutting-edge technologies in fields like AI, IoT, and sustainable infrastructure.

WeGO held a productive meeting with the Busan Economic Promotion Agency (BEPA), where both sides exchanged insights on ongoing initiatives and future collaborations. BEPA shared Busan’s flagship smart city projects, including the Eco Delta City and integrated energy storage systems (ESS), while WeGO introduced its mission, key programs, and the Seoul Smart City Prize, highlighting its focus on human-centered values.

The discussion also covered Busan’s upcoming Eurasia Expedition and Central Asia Trade Mission to Almaty, Kazakhstan, featuring eight innovative startups. These initiatives were identified as promising opportunities for deeper cooperation between WeGO and BEPA. BEPA expressed a strong interest in WeGO’s global activities and agreed to continue discussions regarding future membership and joint programs.

In a separate meeting, WeGO engaged with Busan Metropolitan City’s Research and Development Division, which oversees all smart city-related departments. Emphasizing the importance of international collaboration, both sides explored opportunities for Busan to participate in WeGO’s Smart City Index Project, Training Programs, and the 2025 Executive Committee (EXCOM) Meeting. Busan expressed a desire to move beyond basic membership toward long-term strategic cooperation.

WeGO also held a fruitful exchange with Mr. Mark Emil Talivere, Innovation Expert at Tallinn City Government’s Strategic Management Center. Discussions focused on strengthening Estonia’s participation in global smart city initiatives and engaging the next generation of leaders. In response to the challenges facing Estonian youth post-COVID and amidst global instability, WeGO recommended the WeGO Champions Program as a tool to re-inspire civic engagement and smart city innovation among young people. Both sides recognized the value of continued cooperation and agreed to explore new pathways for collaboration between Tallinn and WeGO.

During WSCE 2025, WeGO conducted several on-site meetings with officials from Mokpo City, Pyeongtaek City (Gyeonggi Province), and various corporations. These interactions provided an effective platform to promote WeGO’s mission, foster new partnerships, and reaffirm its commitment to supporting Korean cities in their smart transformation journeys.

WeGO also played a leading role at the International Future Infrastructure Forum (IFIF), co-hosted with the Urban Design Institute of Korea under the theme “Smart City 2050: Infrastructure & Global Partnerships.” Serving as both presenter and panelist, EB from the WeGO Secretariat delivered a keynote presentation, “WeGO: A Global Platform for Inclusive Smart Cities,” showcasing flagship programs such as the Seoul Smart City Prize and the WeGO Champions Program.

The forum served as a vital space for dialogue across sectors—linking government, academia, civil society, and industry—and underscored WeGO’s growing influence as a leader in global smart city cooperation.

About WeGO

The World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO), is a membership-based international association of local governments, smart tech solution providers, and institutions committed to the transformation of cities into smart sustainable cities through facilitating public-private partnerships (PPP). WeGO was founded by 50 member cities in 2010 as the World e-Governments Organization, hence our acronym. In response to the evolving concept of smart cities, WeGO expanded its vision and mandate at the 7th General Assembly (2017) and its name to the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization. WeGO’s Secretariat is based in Seoul, Korea, and has regional offices in East Asia (Chengdu, China), the Mediterranean (Beyoglu, Turkey), Africa (Abuja, Nigeria), Middle East & North Africa (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates), Latin America (Cuenca, Ecuador), and Central Asia (Almaty, Kazakhstan). As the leading platform on smart city development, WeGO’s mission is to share knowledge and good practices in e-Governance; strengthen administrative efficiency and transparency; advance digital capacity; facilitate civic involvement; bridge the digital divide and inequality; and promote cooperation solidarity among cities and local governments around the world.

WeGO serves for its members as their international platform to improve the quality of life, innovate in the delivery of public services, and strengthen regional competitiveness.

Press Contact:
Name:  Kakim Danabayev
E-mail: kakim@we-gov.org
Phone: +82-70-4202-9169