The 9th Asia Smart City Conference Preliminary Report
The Asia Smart City Conference (hereinafter referred to as "ASCC") is an international conference
that brings together representatives from Asian cities, national governments, internationalorganizations, academic institutions, and private companies, with the aim of discussing the realizationof a sustainable city where economic growth and a favorable urban environment are compatible. At
this conference, representatives from cities will share their vision for growth as well as their current
challenges and needs; private companies and academic institutions will propose innovative solutions;international organizations will offer programs to support efforts by cities and private companies; andvarious best practices from around the world will be shared. Furthermore, we offer an occasion forparticipants to find new business opportunities. The City of Yokohama has declared its intention to
decarbonize by 2050 and is working with a variety of stakeholders to develop various initiatives.
Due to the impact of COVID-19, the 9th ASCC was held in an online format for the first time using a
digital platform. With "Building smart cities aiming for carbon neutrality through city to citycollaboration under the influence of COVID-19" as its main theme, the conference aimed to enhance itsrole as a hub for information on smart city development in Asia, and to generate more business
opportunities for the creation of economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable cities.
The main event, held on January 18, 2021, provided a forum for online communication between
various companies as well as companies and foreign cities. The main event featured five thematic
sessions on energy, waste management, wastewater treatment, disaster risk reduction, and smart
cities, as well as sessions organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and the WorldBank Tokyo Learning Center (TDLC), the Yokohama Youth Event by Yokohama City University
students, and other sessions on a variety of topics. At the closing session, the "Yokohama Declaration"
was presented as the outcome of the 9th ASCC.
On the following day, the "All Japan Summit for the Realization of a Japan-style Digital Society"organized by the Smart City Institute was held online as a continuous event of the 9th ASCC, and theCity of Yokohama shared the contents of the 9th ASCC. The “Yokohama Declaration” will also be
distributed at international conferences such as COP.
This year, the Asia Smart City Alliance (ASCA) is promoting the distribution of information andexchange of opinions on sustainable urban development on its LinkedIn and Facebook pages. In
addition to promoting the urban solutions of Yokohama-related companies on a dedicated page for the
Y-PORT project set up within Digima, an online platform for supporting companies expanding overseas,
Slack will be used to promote mutual understanding and networking among participants to facilitatebusiness matching after the main event and provide a place for continued interaction.
A total of approximately 1,250 people participated in the 9th ASCC main event.

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About the 9th Asia Smart City Conference
Date and Time
Organizer
Co-organizers

Monday, January 18, 2021, 10:00-18:00 (JST)City of Yokohama
Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC)CITYNET, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan International Cooperation Agency

Supporters(JICA), Japanese Government (Cabinet Office, MOFA, MOF, MLIT, MOE), Yokohama City University,
Smart City Institute Japan

Conference Style
Overall Theme
Number ofParticipants
Number of Countries
Participating
Organizations

OnlineBuilding smart cities aiming for carbon neutrality through city to city collaboration under the
influence of COVID-19
Approximately 1,250 participants
42 countries, 1 region
Approximately 750 organizations (Please refer Table 2 on page 4)

Schedule2Analysis of the Main Event of the 9th Asia Smart Cities Conference
Participants
Table 1 - Overseas (by country)
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Philippines

70

80
74

Thailand58

Malaysia

20

US

14

India

12

Myanmar12

Indonesia

11

Vietnam

10

China

9

Bhutan8

Great Britain

6

Mongolia

6

South Korea

6

Cambodia

5Singapore

5

Canada4

Kazakhstan

4

Laos

4

Georgia

3

Pakistan

3

Spain

3

Armenia2

Australia

2

Azerbaijan

2

Bangladesh

2

Fiji

2

Germany

2

Italy

2

Nepal

2

Afghanistan

1

Belgium

1

Bosnia and Herzegovina

1

Brazil1Finland1

Netherland

1

Portugal

1South Africa

1

sri lanka

1

Swiss

1

UAE

1

Uzbekistan

1

Taiwan1(Unit: user)

3

Table 2 - Institutions (by type)

Academic Institutions 8%

Overseas

Overseas Cities (local

Governments 5%

governments) 5%
Domestic Governments 1%

Embassies 1%

Domestic Cities (local
government) 2%
International
Organizations 5%

Private Sectors

Other Organizations

68%(NPO included) 5%

Private Sector

510

Other Organizations (NPOs included)

34

Academic Institutions

57

Japanese Cities (local governments)

15

Overseas Governments

41Japanese Government

10International Organizations

36

Embassies

7

Overseas Cities (local governments)

35

Total

745

(Unit: organization)

Table 3 – Private Sector (by industry)

Manufacturing
14.2%
Other 25.4%
Agriculture

IT/

and Forestry 0.1%

Communications
12.7%

Healthcare/Welfare 0.4%
Advertising/PR
2.3%

Services 11.9%

Wholesale /Retail 3.7%
Research 4.0%
Engineering 7.0%

Real
EstateInfrastructure
10.6%

7.7%

Breakdown:
Manufacturing

107

Research

30

IT/Communications

96

Wholesale/Retail28

Services

90

Advertising/PR

17

4

Infrastructure

80

Healthcare/Welfare

3Real Estate

58

Agriculture and Forestry

1

Engineering

53

Other

192
Total

755
(Unit: people)

Business Matching・Number of total business matches: 103
Breakdown: Video Meetings: 23, Direct Messages: 80

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VENUE A
10:00-10:05

Introduction

In the introduction, AKAOKA Ken, Director General of the City of Yokohama International Affairs Bureau,
explained the purpose and expected impact of this ASCC.
Speaker:
AKAOKA Ken, Director General, International Affairs Bureau, City of Yokohama

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VENUE A
10:05–10:50

Yokohama Youth Event
The Role of Boundary Spanners in Creating the Future of Asia in
the Post-COVID-19 Era

Organizer: Yokohama City University
To foster the next generation, Yokohama City University students gave a presentation on thetheme of "The Role of Boundary Spanners" and had discussions with moderators and guest
experts.
Speakers:＜Opening remarks＞
Professor NAKAJO Yusuke, Vice President, Yokohama City University
Mr. HONDA Jun, Deputy General Manager, Human Resources Department, Nissin Corporation＜Moderator＞
Mr. HIRATA Kendra, Director, CITYNET Yokohama Project Office<Presenters> (Supervisor: Dr. ASHIZAWA Michiko, Associate Professor, School of Economics
and Business Administration, Yokohama City University)
Mr. CHOI Minhyuck, 4th Year Student, International College of Arts and Sciences, Yokohama
City University
Ms. SHIMOGO Run, 4th Year Student, International College of Arts and Sciences, Yokohama
City University
Ms. KADO Ayumi, 4th Year Student, International College of Arts and Sciences, Yokohama
City University＜Guest Professional＞
Mr. SAITO Norio, Director of Urban Development and Water Division (SAUW),South Asia Department, Asian Development Bank

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VENUE A
10:55–11:40[Thematic Session 1] Energy Management
Carbon Neutrality - Energy Management for Cities

Technological advances in the field of renewable energy have led to the introduction ofdecentralized energy supply systems. With presenters from JICA projects in Danang, Vietnam
and Fiji, we discussed issues and measures related to the introduction of renewable energy incities and independent decentralized supply in isolated areas such as remote islands.
Speakers:＜Moderator＞
Mr. NAGUMO Takehiko, Executive Director, Smart City Institute Japan＜Speakers＞
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy Mai, Vice Director, Department of Industrial and Trade (DOIT), Da
Nang City, Vietnam
Mr. OGAWA Tadayuki, Senior Advisor, Japan International Cooperation Agency＜Commentators＞
Mr. KUROMIZU Kimihiro, JICA Expert from City of Yokohama, Metropolitan of Bangkok
Authority, Thailand
Mr. KATO Makoto, Board of Directors/General Manager, Project Development Department,
Overseas Environmental Corporation Center, Japan＜Reactor＞
Mr. SUGIMOTO Satoshi, Y-PORT Center Expert

8

VENUE A
12:40–13:00

Greetings and Keynote Speech

Keynote speeches by the organizers and related organizations.
Speakers:
Mr. KOIZUMI Shinjiro, Minister of the Environment, Japan
HAYASHI Takumi, Deputy Mayor of Yokohama City
Mr. Robert Guild, Chief Sector Officer, Sustainable Development and Climate Change,
Asian Development Bank
Mr. Sameh Wahba, Global Director, Urban, Disaster Risk Management,
Resilience and Land Global Practice, World Bank

9

VENUE A
13:05–13:50

ADB/ADBI Session
Build Back Better for Post-Pandemic Livable Cities

Organizer: Asian Development Bank（ADB）・ Asian Development bank Institute（ADBI）
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has prepared a guidance note "Livable Cities: The PostCOVID-19 New Normal" to provide cross-sector guidance for cities to aim for better recovery
and revitalization from the COVID-19 crisis. We discussed how this new normal framework
can be incorporated into the creation of more livable cities after COVID-19, and what goodpractices are being implemented.
Speakers:＜Moderator＞
Mr. Hong Soo Lee, Senior Urban Specialist (Smart Cities), Asian Development Bank
＜Speakers＞
Mr. Stefan Rau, Senior Urban Development Specialist, Asian Development Bank
Mr. KIKUCHI Koji, Senior Manager Cross-Industry Business Development Division, NEC
Corporation
Ms. Ramola Naik Singru, Senior Urban Development Specialist, Asian Development Bank
Hon. David F. Tumulak, Cebu City Councilor

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VENUE B
13:05–13:50[Thematic Session 2] Solid Waste Management
Addressing changes in solid waste characteristics under COVID19 through proper disposal approaches

With rapid population growth in emerging cities, waste collection, treatment, and disposal
have become a significant administrative cost for local governments. In addition, while thevolume of waste is rapidly increasing due to COVID-19, safe and efficient collection andproper disposal routes for this waste have not yet been established. We discussed new issues
and countermeasures using Mandaue City in the Philippines as an example.
Speakers:＜Moderator＞
Dr. Premakumara Jagath Dickella Gamaralalage, Deputy Director, The IGES Centre
Collaborating with UNEP on Environmental Technologies (IGES/CCET)＜Presenters＞
Ar. Araceli G. Barlam, Head of Mandaue City Environment Natural Resource Office, Philippines
Ar. Marlo D. Ocleasa, Head of City Planning and Development Office, Philippines＜Commentator＞
Mr. OHNO Masato, Chairman, EX Research Institute Ltd.
＜Reactor＞
Mr. OKAMOTO Shinsuke, Y-PORT Center Expert

11

VENUE A
13:55–14:40

World Bank Session
Pathways to Sustainable Urban Development

Organizer: World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC)
Two cases in Indonesia and Bangladesh supported by the World Bankʼs initiative to deploy
cost-effective smart solutions for sustainable cities, the Global Smart Cities Partnership
Program (GSCP), were introduced, and examples of the application of Japanese bestpractices in emerging countries and using technologies that contribute to the reduction of
CO2 emissions were presented.
Speakers:＜Moderator＞
Mr. Victor Mulas, Senior Urban Specialist and TDLC Team Lead, World Bank Tokyo
Development Learning Center (TDLC)＜Panelists＞
Ms. Mansha Chen, Urban Specialist, World Bank
Ms. Gayatri Singh, Senior Urban Specialist, World BankHASHIMOTO Toru, Director General for Development Cooperation, International Affairs
Bureau, City of Yokohama

12

VENUE B
13:55–14:40[Thematic Session 3] Resilience (Disaster Risk Reduction)
Bridging DRR and COVID-19 with Technology

While COVID-19 infections are spreading around the world, disasters such as typhoons andearthquakes are still occurring, and countries are working to create resilient cities. Without
countermeasures against infectious diseases, disaster prevention and mitigation measures
will not be possible, and true resilience will not be achieved. The key for this is to localize andtranslate the technology to fit the characteristics of the region. We discussed the need toprovide technology at a price point that is affordable to cities with limited financial resources.
Speakers:＜Moderator＞
Mr. HIRATA Kendra, Director, CITYNET Yokohama Project Office＜Panelists＞
Mr. ABE Hiroshi, Specialist Smart Infrastructure Business Dept, MACNICA, Inc.
Mr. YOKOYAMA Takayoshi, DX Business Division Project Manager, JVCKENWOOD Corporation
Hon. Jerry Trenãs, Mayor of Iloilo City, Philippines
Dr. Tariq Bin Yousuf, Superintending Engineer, Environment, Climate and Disaster
Management Circle, Dhaka North City Corporation, Bangladesh
Mr. PDKA Wilson, Chief Fire Officer, Colombo City Council
Mr. Neo Cheng-Chi Cheng, Sub-division Chief of Disaster Prevention and Planning Division,
Taipei City Fire Department

13

VENUE A
14:45–16:15[Thematic Session 4] Smart City
ASEAN Smart City Concept and its Realization

In ASEAN, a variety of plans are underway, mainly greenfield projects. AMATA, which isdeveloping smart cities in Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries, introduced their vision andgoals for the cities and their initiatives to achieve them. As a proposal from Japan and
Yokohama, we discussed the realization of high-quality infrastructure development and thecreation of a bustling city that is easy to live in.
Speakers:＜Moderator＞
HASHIMOTO Toru, Director General for Development Cooperation, International Affairs
Bureau, City of Yokohama＜Presenters＞
Ms. Lena Ng, Chief Investment Officer, AMATA Corporation PCL
Mr. SUDO Osamu, Head of Marketing and Sales in Vietnam, Amata City Bien Hoa Joint Stock
Company
Mr. YAMAGUCHI Yasuhiro, Advisor, YOKOHAMA URBAN SOLUTION ALLIANCE (YUSA)
Mr. TAKAHASHI Gen, General Manager, Global Business Development Division,
JFE Engineering Corporation＜Panelists＞
Mr. ISHII Sho, Director for International Negotiations Management, International Policy
Division Policy Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT) of
Japan
Mr. NAGUMO Takehiko, Executive Director, Smart City Institute Japan (SCI-Japan)
Ms. Lena Ng, Chief Investment Officer, AMATA Corporation PCL
Mr. YAMAGUCHI Yasuhiro, Advisor, YOKOHAMA URBAN SOLUTION ALLIANCE (YUSA)
Mr. TAKAHASHI Gen, General Manager, Global Business Development Division, JFE
Engineering Corporation

14

VENUE B
14:45–15:30[Thematic Session 5] Sewage and Wastewater Treatment
Proper and efficient wastewater treatment approaches

It has been reaffirmed that proper sewage and wastewater treatment plays an important rolein urban public health. With overseas presenters from Rajasthan, India, Metro Cebu,
Philippines, and Vietnam, we discussed the challenges and solutions for building an
integrated sewage and wastewater treatment system that appropriately combines
decentralized and intensive treatment methods and discussed the need to customize andcombine technologies to meet local needs. The participants discussed the need to customize
and combine technologies to meet local needs.
Speakers:＜Facilitator＞
Mr. SAITO Norio, Director, Urban Development and Water Division (SAUW),South Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
＜Presenters＞
Mr. Praveen Ankodia, Deputy Project Director (Technical) in Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure
Development Project (RUIDP), Rajasthan Urban Drinking Water, Sewerage and Infrastructure
Corporation Limited
Mr. Emmanuel C. Espina, Principal Engineer C, Corporate Planning Department, Metro Cebu
Water District
Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Director of Center for Consultancy, Training and Services on Natural
Resources and Environment, Institute for Strategy, Policy on Natural Resources andEnvironment＜Reactor＞
Mr. KIKUHARA Junya, Y-PORT Center Expert

15

VENUE B
15:35–16:20

Climate Change Measures Session: Platform for Redesign 2020

The Japanese government has launched an online platform called "Platform for Redesign2020" to promote collaboration among all actors to solve the two global issues of climatechange and COVID-19. Based on the three transitions to "decarbonized society," "circular
economy," and "decentralized society," this session focused on "cities" and shared knowledge
through practical discussions on how to rebuild sustainable and resilient cities in the postCorona era.
＜Moderator＞
Mr. UCHIDA Togo, Director, ICLEI Japan＜Presenters＞
Mr. SUGIMOTO Ryuzo, Director, International Cooperation and Sustainable Infrastructure
Office, Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan
Mr. MIYAZAKI Akihiro, Deputy Director General, Global Environment Department, Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
OKUNO Shuhei, Deputy Director-General, Climate Change Policy Headquarters,
City of Yokohama
Mr. Risto Veivo, Climate Director, City of Turku, Finland

16

VENUE A
16:50–17:50

Closing Session

The closing session summarized the results of the discussions on the theme of the 9th ASCC,"Building smart cities aiming for carbon neutrality through city to city collaboration under the
influence of COVID-19.” After the presentation of the results from the youth event, theYokohama Declaration, which summarized the discussions that took place at ASCC, waspresented at the end of the session.
<Speakers>
Ms. Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona City Council (Agenda 2030, Digital Transition,
Sports, Territorial and Metropolitan Coordination and International Relations）
Dr. ISHIHARA Yasuhiro, Deputy Minister for International Projects, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
Mr. Rushi Rama, Lead, G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance (GSCA)
Mr. Chul Ju Kim, Deputy Dean, Asian Development Bank institute (ADBI)
Mr. CHOI Minhyuck, 4th Year Student, International College of Arts and Sciences, Yokohama
City University
HASHIMOTO Toru, Director General for Development Cooperation, International Affairs
Bureau, City of Yokohama 【Yokohama Declaration】

17

9th Asia Smart City Conference “Yokohama Declaration”
Building smart cities aiming for carbon neutrality through city to city collaboration under the
influence of COVID-19
Cities should take the lead as we face a global paradigm shift, and the challenges and issues
we face are going through a shift as well. Cities are in a position to work with citizens and theprivate sector to overcome this difficult situation while producing innovative and practicalurban solutions and enhancing knowledge sharing through co-creation among cities. Morethan half of the worldʼs population lives in cities today. As the percentage of people living incities is expected to reach 80% by 2050, cities also need to recognize that they are a key
contributor to climate change. According to the UN Environment Programme, cities are
responsible for 75% of global CO2 emissions, with transportation and buildings among thelargest contributors. During the ongoing pandemic, cities are recalibrating and exploring new
ways to achieve sustainable development while addressing the challenges associated with
COVID-19. It is essential to build a new modality and a new city. This was the universal voiceof the 9th Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC).
This year, ASCC was organized in the context of a fundamental global paradigm shift. The
conference was held with an expanded online format on a digital platform to attract a wider
audience interested in smart cities in Asia and beyond. Based on the global challenges cities
face, the main theme of the conference was “Building smart cities aiming for carbon
neutrality through city to city collaboration under the influence of COVID-19.”
During the conference, discussions were held on climate change, which can be attributed asa main cause of many recent global challenges. The entire world is being impacted byextreme weather conditions such as droughts, heat waves, heavy rain, floods, and landslides,
and these phenomena become more frequent in Asian countries. In order to limit global
warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius–the threshold suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel for
Climate Change (IPCC)–achieving carbon neutrality by the mid-21st century is essential.
Along with many leaders of the world Prime Minister Suga officially declared that Japan willgo carbon neutral by 2050 in his policy speech on October 26th, 2020.
Many countries in Europe and some in Asia are increasingly integrating green growth policies
and initiatives in response to COVID-19 and to recover from various global challenges that
focus on protecting and regenerating the natural environment by reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and promoting more comprehensive resilience policies along with digitalization.
Carbon neutrality has become an essential step for cities as we need to combat climatechange and COVID-19. In turn, this presents major opportunities for innovation and growth.
18Based on this background, specialized sessions were organized by the Asian Development
Bank (ADB) and the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), the Tokyo Development
Learning Center (TDLC) of the World Bank, and the City of Yokohama. The discussions
highlighted topics related to integrated urban development, shared knowledge on innovativetechnologies, and explored directions for future initiatives. These conversations encouraged
participants to recognize the importance of co-creation, city-led forward-looking initiatives,and adoption of new modalities and technologies. The following ideas emerged from theconference:
1. ASCC participants reaffirmed their commitment to international targets such as theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New Urban Agenda under HABITAT III, Sendai
Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the Paris Agreement under Conference of theParties (COP21) to the UNFCCC. More cities have started to adopt carbon neutrality upfront
as a fundamental city management policy. Cities should proactively engage citizens andprivate businesses by enabling platforms for participatory planning alongside public-private
collaboration for innovative solutions that promote inclusiveness and an improved qualityof life for livable cities. The Cities as a laboratory or “Urban Lab” approach should beconsidered to identify the changing dynamics of cities and the needs of their citizens.
2. Smart cities in Asia, especially those in emerging economies, still face fundamental urban
challenges in providing clean water, disposing of wastewater and solid waste, supplying
stable energy, and developing effective transportation systems. For cities, the COVID-19
pandemic has exposed existing faults such as poor physical infrastructure, unequal accessto core urban services, inadequate delivery system, and suboptimal densities resulting inovercrowded cities. There is a recognizable need to revisit urban strategies and revise theurbanization process and practices to build back better, more livable cities after the
pandemic. The importance of improving urban services and infrastructure and the effective
use of technologies and digital solutions were discussed. Additionally, challenges such aslack of planning regarding initial and ongoing running costs of services, the shortage ofcapacity building opportunities in building sufficient workforce, and the digital divide among
citizens were also discussed.
3. City management expertise has been treated as tacit knowledge, as each city has
substantively different sets of geopolitical parameters. The conference emphasized thegrowing ICT capacity that makes “open” and “big” data more available to cities and theprivate sector. It was also recognized that the pace of change for cities to adopt smart
solutions is quickening as cities have started to adopt low cost/high impact smart solutionsand “leapfrog” technologies to address their most pressing urban development issues.
These trends provide opportunities to establish business modalities such as CMaaS (City19

Management as a Service). This approach makes elements of expertise in city managementtransferrable.
4. The conference recognized the power and potential of the private sector in achieving
development goals to co-create sustainable cities and a circular economy. In emerging
economies, the private sector has started to take leading roles in area-wide urban
development and the introduction of innovative smart urban solutions. City leaders as well
as relevant international institutions should provide platforms to facilitate collaboration andengage citizens through this new movement.
5. The importance of knowledge hubs such as the Y-PORT Center and other venues for mutual
learning were discussed. We will continue to strengthen peer-to-peer learning throughdigital platforms such as the Asia Smart City Alliance (ASCA), pursue further citycollaboration among our development partners, and utilize these opportunities as ideal
venues to exchange ideas, experiences, and innovations and make them available toconcerned parties.

20