Shaping the urban age
Shaping the urban age
The Thailand Smart City Expo 2025 offered a concise but revealing snapshot of Southeast Asia’s race toward urban digitalization. While Bangkok showcased its Digital Twin efforts, regional players — from Japan to Taiwan — highlighted competing narratives and standards. Beneath the buzz, fragmented governance and data silos still challenge Thailand’s ability to turn smart city pilots into coherent, scalable systems.
Returning from Expo 2025 Osaka, I joined a full week of sustainability and innovation events in Kuala Lumpur—IGEM, KL Sustainable Summit, and Malaysia–Japan Environment Week—where regional leaders and ERIA partners advanced actionable strategies on energy, circular economy, and urban governance. These engagements underscored ASEAN’s growing capacity to turn sustainability dialogue into measurable impact.
Speaking at the Europe–Japan Roundtable on Digital Innovation and Sustainable Tourism at Expo 2025 Osaka’s Italy Pavilion was both an honour and a milestone. My journey between Europe and Asia continues through initiatives that connect innovation, governance, and sustainability—advancing a shared vision where digital transformation serves both people and the planet.