Taoyuan City has once again demonstrated its world‑class strength in smart governance, achieving a historic milestone on the global stage. Smart Cities Connect, a leading U.S.-based smart city organization, officially announced the winners of the 2026 Smart 20 Awards on March 10 (Eastern Time). Among hundreds of top-tier submissions worldwide, Taoyuan City Government stood out with two award‑winning projects, making Taoyuan the only city in Asia to receive dual honors this year. The award‑winning projects include “Protect Our City: City Monitoring and Response System,” submitted by the Taoyuan City Government, as well as “Precision Carbon Governance: Scaling AI-Driven Real-Time Monitoring for Public Infrastructure,” a collaborative initiative between the Taoyuan City Government and Water Resources Agency, Ministry of Economic Affairs. These achievements further reinforce Taoyuan’s leadership in integrating advanced technologies into urban governance. Notably, since Mayor Chang San‑Cheng assumed office, Taoyuan has received the Smart 20 Award for four consecutive years, setting a global first and underscoring the city’s long‑term stability, strategic vision, and sustained innovation in smart city development.
Representing the city at the award ceremony in Raleigh, the capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina, Deputy Secretary-General Chin Chih‑Yu stated that the Smart 20 Awards are not merely a global competition for innovative technologies, but also a benchmark for evaluating whether cities possess true governance foresight. In a highly competitive selection process, Taoyuan outperformed internationally recognized technology cities such as Las Vegas and Coral Gables, positioning itself as a key reference city for global smart governance best practices. Deputy Secretary‑General Chin further emphasized that the true value of a smart city lies not in showcasing technology, but in accurately identifying challenges and applying intelligent solutions to real problems. As Taiwan’s gateway city and industrial hub, Taoyuan’s successful governance model not only highlights Taiwan’s capabilities on the global stage but also demonstrates how local innovation can evolve into an international smart city benchmark. Through consistent achievements and cross‑sector collaboration, Taoyuan continues to prove that its smart governance model is not only effective but also scalable, sustainable, and capable of shaping the future of cities worldwide.