The 12th Smart City Summit and Expo (SCSE) officially kicked off on March 18, 2025, at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 2. As the largest professional exhibition for smart cities in the Asia-Pacific region, this year's event focuses on critical areas such as AI applications, smart governance, deep energy savings, virtual power plants, net-zero sustainability, and global co-creation, showcasing innovative applications of digital technology in developing smart and net-zero cities.

Aeon Motor's global market growth, production optimization, and new energy product strategy led to significant financial gains. In the fourth quarter of 2024, revenue was NT$483 million (approx. US$14.66 million), contributing to an annual consolidated revenue of NT$2.29 billion, marking a 6.81% year-over-year increase. In 2025, Aeon Motor plans to strengthen its presence in the two-wheeler market and continue its push into the new energy sector.

Leadsun Greentech Chairman Li-Chen Lin says the era of fast profits in renewable energy has ended, with the market now favoring firms with strong fundamentals. While the sector faces challenges, long-term prospects remain bright for companies with robust operational capabilities.

Taiwan's industrial sector is increasingly recognizing the advantages of reclaimed water, yet overall adoption remains limited due to several key challenges that must be addressed to accelerate its penetration, according to Nien-ying Hu, president of Rih Ding Water Enterprise, a water management subsidiary of Radium Life Tech Group.

ASE Technology Holding, a global leader in semiconductor packaging and testing, is partnering with Ainos to integrate AI-powered scent digitization into semiconductor manufacturing. Using Ainos' proprietary AI Nose technology, the collaboration will convert airborne chemical data—Smell IDs—into actionable insights to improve process efficiency, environmental monitoring, and ESG compliance.

China has issued more licenses allowing copper smelters to export metal tax-free, aiding local producers and paving the way for greater overseas sales at a time of upheaval in the global market.

The Breakthrough Technology Dialogue held in Singapore at the end of February saw participation from technology experts across various countries. However, the discussions were largely influenced by Asian perspectives, with Chinese viewpoints being particularly prominent. Even in private conversations, there was limited opposition to China's stance.

The global push to build AI data centers has intensified, raising concerns not just over power consumption but also their vast water usage. While data centers are known for their energy demands, their water requirements remain largely overlooked.

With the global push for net-zero carbon emissions, the green energy industry is rapidly expanding, creating a surge in demand for skilled professionals. In response, Taiwan Cement Corp. (TCC) and Formosa Smart Energy, a subsidiary of Formosa Plastics Group, have launched major recruitment initiatives to attract "green collar" talent and capitalize on emerging business opportunities.

Hydrogen energy is a pivotal technology in Taiwan's journey toward net-zero emissions, with talent development playing a crucial role in its progress. To support this, Taiwan has launched the H2 Grand Prix (H2GP) Taiwan 2025, an educational initiative designed to cultivate future experts in hydrogen energy technologies.

Since 2019, China's new energy vehicle market has rapidly expanded to comprise half of new car sales by 2024, though this has complicated the used car market. Meanwhile, Europe's transition to electric vehicles is facing challenges. As EV numbers grow, manufacturers strive to meet 2025 carbon reduction targets, creating a second-hand EV market similar to China's, where depreciation rates exceed expectations, making new EVs often cheaper than used ones.