Busan is good

Busan Ranked 12th in the World and 2nd in Asia in Global Smart City Index Accelerating Its Leap Toward Becoming a Global City

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the city has achieved a global ranking of 12th and 2nd in Asia in the 11th Smart Centres Index (SCI) published by Z/Yen Group, a leading global consultancy based in the United Kingdom.

The Smart Centres Index (SCI) evaluates major global cities based on their capacity for innovation, technology, and smart infrastructure. The index is released biannually and uses 135 data indicators and expert surveys to rank cities.

Since first entering the index in June 2021 at 62nd, Busan has continuously improved, achieving its fifth consecutive placement in the Top 20, firmly establishing itself as a leading global smart city.

In this evaluation, Busan ranked 12th out of 76 global cities, marking its best performance to date. Within the Asia-Pacific region, Busan outperformed Hong Kong for the second consecutive time and secured the 2nd spot, just behind Singapore.

Top-ranked cities include:

• ●San Francisco (1st)

• ●Zurich (2nd)

• ●London (3rd)

• ●Geneva (7th)

• ●Singapore (9th)

• ●Cambridge (10th)

• ●Shenzhen (14th)

• ●Toronto (16th)

• ●Berlin (18th)

• ●Hong Kong (25th)

• ●Seoul (33rd)

Busan was evaluated favorably across all six competitiveness categories:

• ●Technology (12th)

• ●Financial Services (13th)

• ●Human Capital (9th)

• ●Business Environment (8th)

• ●Reputational (11th)

• ●Infrastructure (6th)

Additionally, in the “Innovation Support” category, which assesses regulatory and policy approaches to innovation industries, Busan climbed from 13th to 7th—demonstrating the success of its innovation-friendly regulatory environment.

The city has strengthened its corporate support framework by launching the Business Support Division and the Future Technology Strategy Bureau, focusing on industries such as AI, R&D, bio-health, and big data.

Busan also retained the top spot (1st) in the Reputation category based on global expert surveys, confirming the city’s growing global visibility and influence.

At CES 2025, Busan hosted its first unified “Busan Pavilion” to support innovative companies and expand international networks. The city has also been active in urban diplomacy and global investment attraction, further raising its global profile.

To lead the digital transformation of the local economy, Busan is integrating AI, quantum computing, robotics, and biotech into its key industries and expanding digital infrastructure. Projects include:

• ●Regional smart innovation clusters

• ●Centum Urban Convergence Special Zone

• ●Digital Twin pilot zones

• ●Deep tech infrastructure

• ●Green Data Center Complex

• ●Busan AI Demonstration Center

• ●Smart Healthcare Big Data Center

• ●Quantum Science and Technology Center

• ●Busan Digital Innovation Academy (training over 10,000 ICT experts over 5 years)

In March, the city announced the Busan AI Transformation (AX) Roadmap, and will host the World Smart City Expo 2025 in July, aiming to expand high-tech industry collaboration beyond the Seoul metro area.

Furthermore, the Busan Technology Startup Investment Agency was officially launched in April to build a startup ecosystem and accelerate local venture investment.

Mayor Park stated,

“This achievement reaffirms that Busan is now a truly global smart city,” and added,
“We will continue striving to overcome metropolitan centralization and position Busan as a leading innovation hub in southern Korea and a global smart city.”

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Attachment 1: Busan’s Ranking in the 11th Smart Centres Index (SCI)

Attachment 2: Overview of the Smart Centres Index (SCI)

Attachment 3: Major Evaluation Indicators