Kaohsiung Global Smart Harbors Forum Launched to Foster International Tie-ups

The southern city of Kaohsiung, known as the Maritime Capital and the Harbor Capital of Taiwan, serves as the best base for Taiwan to venture into marine technology. In recent years, with time evolution and industrial changes, the City Government has been striving to promote the transformation of the Port of Kaohsiung from an industrial harbor to a people-oriented hub, while implementing strategic intelligence solutions in the advanced semiconductor industry and 5G-enabled applications and services with the aim of meeting the needs of future industrial transformation and achieving technological leadership in various fields.

The Kaohsiung City Government launched the Global Harbor Cities Forum (GHCF) in 2016 as the first international platform in Taiwan that addresses the economic growth of harbor cities. The biennial forum serves as a meeting ground for representatives from major harbor cities around the world to come together to explore issues with regard to the economic growth of harbor cities; accelerate the development of marine technology, smart harbor, and smart cities; revitalize economic, social, cultural, knowledge, talents and other resources, and to promote the blue economy and sustainable development of harbor cities. Through this forum, Kaohsiung has established partnerships with 25 countries, successfully playing a role of hub in facilitating international connectivity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the global economy and urban development, but it also sped up the digital transformation of smart technology applications and industries. At the third edition of the forum, which took place at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai revealed the latest development plan for Asia's New Bay Area 2.0. Mayor Chen emphasized the importance of transforming the industrial harbor into a tourism-oriented harbor, introducing smart solutions, and undergoing a digital transformation so as to achieve technological leadership in various fields. In the future, the City Government will work with Taiwan International Ports Corporation to promote the development of digital applications in the Port of Kaohsiung and export them globally.

Kaohsiung has made significant progress in recent years, and the representatives of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications who attended the forum stressed that a win-win situation for both the port and the city can only be achieved through close cooperation, dialogues, and by fostering international tie-ups. Taiwan International Ports Corporation is committed to upgrading the software and hardware of the port, including the 6th Kaohsiung Intercontinental Container Terminal which is currently in use as well as the 7th Container Terminal which will commence operations in 2024, in order to accomplish the objective of strengthening the hub port's competitive position in the Asia-Pacific region. In line with the City Government's plan, the Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal also introduced 5G AIoT smart applications so as to generate new momentum for Kaohsiung's economic and trade development.