Export of 'Seoul-type Smart City' Policy to Guayaquil, Ecuador

Mayors of Two Cities Meet Online for 'Smart City Cooperation Agreement'
Private Companies Also Participate in 'Webinar' Sharing Smart City Policies and Experiences like TOPIS

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is exporting its 'Seoul-type Smart City' policy to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Guayaquil is the largest commercial city and a trade gateway for Pacific exports and imports, and was selected last year by the Ecuadorian government as a city for digital smart city development planning.

Seoul announced that on the 30th at 8 a.m., it will sign an online "Memorandum of Understanding for Smart City Cooperation between Seoul and Guayaquil." Seo Jeong-hyeop, Acting Mayor of Seoul, will participate from the Citizen Hall video conference studio, while Cynthia Fernanda Viteri Jim?nez, Mayor of Guayaquil, will connect online in real time from Ecuador.

The main contents of the agreement include building an integrated security and traffic control center in Guayaquil based on Seoul's IT-based smart city policies; consulting and support for establishing a data-driven decision-making system; expanding cooperation in the future to smart education and health services; and training to strengthen smart city capabilities for Guayaquil city officials and affiliated institutions.

This export of the Seoul-type smart city policy was promoted at the suggestion of KOTRA's Latin America regional headquarters and Quito trade office, and at the request of Guayaquil city. KOTRA's regional headquarters and trade office proposed the policy export so that Korean companies in the smart city sector could enter the Latin American market together with Seoul. The city, in cooperation with KOTRA, introduced Seoul's smart city policies such as the Digital Citizen Market Office and the Traffic Information Center TOPIS locally in Guayaquil. Subsequently, Mayor Jim?nez requested cooperation from Seoul, leading to the signing of the agreement.

The Seoul-type smart city policies exported to Guayaquil will be decided through consultations between the two cities. Both sides will share their policies, establish a master plan suitable for Guayaquil, and gradually expand the scope of cooperation.

In particular, Mayor Jim?nez is reported to be interested in areas such as free Wi-Fi, remote education, digital platforms for real-time communication and policy decision-making with citizens, ITS infrastructure construction, and smart integrated solutions including smart disaster management systems.

Meanwhile, Seoul expects that based on cooperation with Guayaquil, exchange and cooperation projects with other Latin American cities with high demand for traffic and security-centered smart cities, such as Peru and El Salvador, can also be expanded.

After the signing ceremony, a "policy webinar" will be held to share smart city policies and experiences between the two cities. It is organized as a public-private event with prior registration for related private companies wishing to expand overseas, including Ecuador.

Acting Mayor Seo Jeong-hyeop said, "Starting with the MOU with Guayaquil, we will share Seoul's various smart city public services, such as the Seoul-type smart city model based on data and policies to reduce educational gaps in the COVID-19 era based on smart technology," and added, "We expect the advancement of excellent domestic companies into Ecuador to become more active."