(AseanAll) — The 8th ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) Annual Meeting was convened on September 9,2025 where members deliberated on the development of the ASEAN Smart City Action Plan 2026-2035, reviewed progress in membership expansion and achievements in regional undertakings, compared notes on experiences and challenges in advancing their respective smart city initiatives, as well as aligned understanding towards more cooperation with external partners.
The 8th ASCN Annual Meeting was followed by a Smart City Expert Talk held on September 10,2025. The Smart City Expert Talk discussed ways to strengthen collaboration with private sector, develop strategies for effective governance and investment, and deliberate on actionable recommendations on scaling smart city projects.
Both events were held in parallel with a Smart City Connect Exhibition. Under the theme, “Fostering Stronger Cooperation Towards a Common Goal for Smart and Sustainable Urban Development in ASEAN”, the 8th ASCN Annual Meeting and related events are hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia, the Chair of ASCN this year.
In his opening remarks at the Opening Ceremony, Minister of Housing and Local Government of Malaysia, Nga Kor Ming shared that “Smart cities are not only about technology or automation. They are about bridging gaps between rich and poor, analogue and digital, urban and rural. The future is not something we predict; it is something we build. With the ASCAP 2026–2035 as our guiding document, let us now step forward as the architects of a new urban era for ASEAN”.
Chairing the meeting, Mohd Hazli bin Ahmad, Deputy Secretary General (Sustainability and Strategic Planning) of Malaysia’s Ministry of Housing and Local Government, conveyed that “Let us approach today’s meeting not merely as a platform for reflection, but as a springboard for collective action. The true success of the ASEAN Smart City Action Plan will not lie in the elegance of its text, but in the resolve of each Member State to implement its provisions with integrity, ambition, and solidarity. Smart cities are not just about sensors and software; they are about improving lives, empowering communities, and securing a more inclusive and liveable future for generations to come”.
Representatives from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism; Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport; and the United States’ Department of State attended the meeting to collaborate on smart and sustainable cities initiatives in the region.
