As Vietnam strengthens its position in Southeast Asia’s urban transformation, Smart City Asia 2026 continues to grow as a leading regional platform connecting governments, enterprises, and technology providers. We spoke with Ms. Nina Nguyen, Project Manager of Smart City Asia, LEDTEC Asia, and Education Vietnam, about what drives the initiative, why Vietnam is emerging as a strategic hub for urban innovation, and how the platform moves beyond discussion toward implementation.
From vision to responsibility: the philosophy behind Smart City Asia 2026
You oversee several major platforms, including Smart City Asia and LEDTEC Asia. What personally motivates you to work on Smart City Asia, and why is the topic of smart and sustainable cities important to you?
From a Project Manager’s perspective, what motivates me most about Smart City Asia is the opportunity to bridge long-term vision with real, measurable impact. After 10 years managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects, I strongly believe smart cities are not about technology alone, but about improving quality of life, governance efficiency, and resilience. Smart City Asia creates a rare platform where governments, enterprises, and solution providers can align priorities and move from discussion to execution. Personally, I see this as a responsibility, not just to deliver successful events but to help shape sustainable urban systems that will serve future generations.
Vietnam as a strategic urban hub
Smart City Asia is often described as Vietnam’s leading platform for smart cities and urban innovation. In your view, what truly distinguishes this event from other smart city exhibitions and forums in Asia and globally?
What differentiates Smart City Asia is its integrated ecosystem approach. Unlike many exhibitions that focus mainly on showcasing technology, this platform is designed around applicability and implementation. By combining expo, high-level conferences, and structured B2B matchmaking, the event reflects how real urban projects are developed in practice. From a management standpoint, we curate content based on actual needs of Vietnamese and ASEAN cities, not global buzzwords. This focus on relevance, depth, and execution is what makes Smart City Asia stand out regionally and globally.
Why is Vietnam emerging as a key hub for discussions on the future of cities? What specific urban challenges and opportunities make the country particularly relevant for international stakeholders?
Vietnam is emerging as a strategic hub because it is experiencing rapid urbanization while actively embracing digital transformation. This creates a living laboratory for smart city solutions. Urban challenges such as traffic congestion, environmental pressure, and governance complexity are real and urgent. At the same time, Vietnam offers strong opportunities: a young population, openness to innovation, and clear national direction on smart cities and green growth. For international stakeholders, Vietnam represents both a high-growth market and a gateway to broader Southeast Asian urban development.
From networking to implementation
Smart City Asia 2026 will bring together over 15,000 professional visitors and features three parallel formats under one roof. How does this integrated structure help participants transition from networking to genuine collaboration and implementation?
From a project design perspective, the three parallel formats are intentional. They guide participants through a clear journey: networking, understanding real problems, and moving toward collaboration and implementation. Conferences provide strategic context, the expo demonstrates solutions, and B2B matchmaking enables direct action. This structure optimizes time and resources for all stakeholders, government, enterprises, and investors, while reducing the gap between ideas and execution. As a manager, I see this not as an event layout, but as a value chain designed to generate real outcomes.
B2B matchmaking is a core element of the event. What kinds of partnerships and solutions are most in demand today, from urban infrastructure and digital governance to climate technologies and smart services?
Today, demand is shifting from standalone technologies to integrated, scalable solutions. Key areas include urban data platforms, digital governance, smart mobility, climate technologies, renewable energy, and ESG-driven infrastructure. Cities are looking for partners who can deliver end-to-end solutions rather than single products. From a Project Manager’s viewpoint, successful B2B matchmaking is about aligning the right partners at the right stage of urban development, ensuring solutions are technically sound, financially viable, and adaptable to local contexts.
The Smart Solution Experience zone promises hands-on exposure to future technologies. Which types of solutions are currently attracting the strongest interest from city leaders, investors, and solution providers?
The Smart Solution Experience zone responds directly to how decisions are made today. City leaders focus on feasibility, cost, and scalability. Investors evaluate business models and ROI. Solution providers seek real-world testing and access to decision-makers. Hands-on experience significantly shortens decision cycles because stakeholders can see, test, and evaluate solutions in realistic scenarios. From a management perspective, this zone transforms abstract innovation into tangible value, accelerating trust and adoption.
Education, AI, and long-term urban resilience
In 2025, TECHCON focused on education in the innovative urban era. How will the conference evolve in 2026? What new themes or priorities, such as AI, data-driven governance, or future skills, will take center stage?
TECHCON 2026 will place a stronger emphasis on education in the AI era, recognizing future human capital as the core driver of sustainable urban and economic development. While education was a foundation in 2025, the focus will shift toward building AI-ready talent, future skills, and leadership capabilities. Key themes will include AI and big data in urban operations, semiconductor development as a strategic growth engine, and the application of AI for operational control aligned with ESG goals. From my perspective, TECHCON should serve as a strategic think platform, connecting education, technology, and governance to prepare cities for long-term resilience.
Looking beyond Smart City Asia 2026 as a single event, what long-term role do you see this platform playing in shaping the future of cities in Southeast Asia and globally?
Beyond a single event, I see Smart City Asia evolving into a trusted, long-term collaboration platform. Its role is to connect policy dialogue, solution testing, and regional partnerships, especially within ASEAN. Over time, it can help shape shared standards, best practices, and scalable models for smart and sustainable urban development. From a Project Manager’s viewpoint, success is not measured by event size alone, but by the continuity of partnerships and real projects that emerge year after year.
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