The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) international delegation visited Yunlin on the 19th and 20th, launching a series of smart‑city exchange activities. Magistrate Chang Li‑Shan noted that Yunlin has continuously promoted smart‑city development in recent years, winning domestic Smart City Innovation Application Awards for five consecutive years. In 2024, Yunlin participated in the ICF Global Smart City Awards for the first time and was immediately named among the Top7 Intelligent Communities, demonstrating Yunlin’s progress in digital governance, green sustainability, and resilient rural‑urban development, as well as growing international recognition. ICF Chairman and Co‑Founder John G. Jung led representatives from Canada, the United States, Brazil, India, Turkey, Ghana, and other countries. Besides attending the Taipei and Kaohsiung Smart City Summits, the delegation arranged an in‑depth field visit to Yunlin to gain firsthand understanding of how the county integrates local characteristics into its smart‑transformation initiatives.
The first stop on March 19 was the Taiwan Tilapia Ecological Creative Park in Kouhu Township, focusing on Yunlin’s smart‑agriculture sector. The visit allowed the delegation to witness Yunlin’s strong agricultural and aquaculture foundations. Through guided tours and exchanges, Yunlin shared how it integrates aquaculture, technological applications, and field management to move traditional industries toward smarter, more precise, and more sustainable development. The on‑site team also introduced intelligent fish‑pond technology and its achievements, explaining how Yunlin leverages smart technologies to enhance productivity, reduce management costs, and strengthen overall aquaculture efficiency in the face of climate change, extreme weather, and industrial transformation. These examples demonstrated the complete application of smart agriculture—from production to management.
In the afternoon, the delegation visited Yuegang Elementary School in Tuku Township and the Yunlin Smart Education Center for a thematic tour on smart education. Magistrate Chang Li‑Shan, Deputy Magistrates Hsieh Shu‑Ya and Chen Bi‑Jun, Chief Consultant Chang Ching‑Liang, Education Department Director Chiu Hsiao‑Wen, Planning Department Director Lee Ming‑Yueh, and International Affairs Director Liu Chih‑Wei welcomed the global guests. Principal Chiao Chi of the Smart Education Center, along with his team, introduced Yunlin’s digital‑learning initiatives, technological integration in teaching, and educational innovations through presentations, videos, group discussions, and guided tours. The visit included six major smart‑learning facilities, offering the delegation insights into how Yunlin integrates digital tools, learning content, instructional design, and educational environments to build a learning ecosystem that balances technological application with educational equity—particularly meaningful for rural and non‑metropolitan areas.
Magistrate Chang stated that she was honored to welcome the ICF international delegation to Yunlin for the third consecutive year, witnessing the county’s steady progress. She highlighted how Yunlin—traditionally an agricultural county—has integrated smart technologies not only in agriculture, aquaculture, and livestock, but also in smart long‑term care, smart campuses, smart disaster prevention, smart emergency response, and other domains, embedding technology into everyday life.
During the afternoon visit at the Smart Education Center, Magistrate Chang emphasized Yunlin’s dedication to digital educational transformation. Beyond hardware installation, the county prioritizes curriculum design, teacher support, and student hands‑on experience. Technology is treated not merely as equipment but as a tool to enhance learning outcomes and close urban‑rural gaps, giving children a strong start. Through close interaction between local educators and the ICF delegation, Yunlin showcased that its smart‑education development is not limited to a single demonstration site but is gradually integrated into everyday education and talent cultivation.
Magistrate Chang further stressed that the visit not only earned praise from the ICF delegation but also served as an important opportunity for Yunlin to deepen international dialogue and exchange best practices. Moving forward, the county government will continue advancing smart technology, cross‑sector governance, and international collaboration to promote agricultural upgrading, educational innovation, and sustainable development—demonstrating Yunlin’s action capacity and potential as a model smart city.
ICF Chairman and Co‑Founder John G. Jung stated that ICF has long promoted global cooperation among cities in ICT, economic development, and social innovation, and that the ICF Top7 designation symbolizes excellence in smart‑city development. He noted that Yunlin is an open and highly promising region. Through this field visit, the delegation gained deeper insight into how Yunlin integrates local characteristics, technological applications, and governance innovation into representative smart‑city practices.
The event also featured a presentation by Ling Jia Technology from Tuku Township, providing the delegation with a closer understanding of Yunlin’s technological capabilities and how local industries cultivate development pathways linking schools to industry and education to regional innovation through industry collaboration, technology application, and talent development.
Additionally, the county government prepared Yunlin’s local specialty wine “Huwei Brewing.” Made using local rice, sugarcane, natural water, and the region’s climate conditions, the wine embodies the story of Yunlin’s land. Magistrate Chang Li‑Shan gifted the wine to international guests, allowing them to experience Yunlin’s unique blend of technological advancement and cultural warmth beyond the professional exchanges.
Sources: Yunlin County Government
