The State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City (SKL-IOTSC) at the University of Macau (UM) held the 5th Macao International Conference on Smart City Technologies. Themed ‘Intelligent Synergy: AI-Driven Innovation for Smarter Urban Futures’, this year’s conference brought together over 100 experts and scholars from home and abroad to discuss key strategies, cutting-edge interdisciplinary knowledge and theories, and key technologies and applications for smart city development.

Yonghua Song, rector of UM and director of SKL-IOTSC, was the general chair of the conference. In his opening remarks, Song emphasised the critical role of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things technologies in disaster prevention and mitigation, and highlighted their indispensable contribution to the pursuit of urban resilience and sustainable development of cities worldwide. He added that the conference provided an excellent platform for researchers, scholars, and professionals in related fields to share novel theories and experiences in smart city development, fostering deeper collaboration between industry and technology.

Keynote speakers at the conference included Dipti Srinivasan, professor at the National University of Singapore; Yu Yizhou, professor at The University of Hong Kong; Sethu Vijayakumar, professor at the University of Edinburgh; Claudio Cañizares, professor at the University of Waterloo. In addition, the panel discussion titled ‘AI-Driven Innovation for Smarter Urban Futures: Opportunities and Challenges’, which was moderated by Yang Dingqi, associate professor at UM SKL-IOTSC, attracted many scholars to engage in the discussion.

Following the format of previous editions, this year’s conference provided a platform for attendees to engage in multidimensional and interdisciplinary exchanges, and for scholars and industry practitioners from around the world to present original and significant research findings. With a focus on AI, big data, robotics, smart energy, intelligent transportation, urban safety, and disaster prevention, the conference showcased a range of smart city development projects and the latest research outcomes in AI technology.

The conference was jointly organised by the UM Faculty of Science and Technology, the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) of the Macao SAR, the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau, UMTEC Limited, the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Smart Cities. The event was sponsored by CEM, Huawei Services (Hong Kong) Co Ltd Macau Branch, BoardWare Intelligence Technology Limited, and CTM. It was also supported by several departments of the Macao SAR government, including the Economic and Technological Development Bureau, the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau. The conference was also attended by U U Sang, president of the Administrative Committee of FDCT; Leong Weng Kun, director of the Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau; Choi Kin Long, vice president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau; Iong Nin Fai, head of the Technology Department of the Economic and Technological Development Bureau; Lei Kuong Leong, acting department head of the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau.