Busan is good

Busan Ranks 8th Worldwide and 2nd in Asia as a Smart City, Accelerating Its Rise as a Globally Recognized Innovation Hub

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that, as a result of its comprehensive efforts toward digital transformation, Busan has risen to the top 8 globally and top 2 in Asia in the smart city rankings.

○ Through this latest assessment, Busan reaffirmed its global reputation as a leading smart city.

The city explained that in the 12th evaluation of the Smart Centres Index (SCI) released by Z/Yen Group of the United Kingdom, Busan ranked 8th among 77 major cities worldwide.

○ The Smart Centres Index is calculated using 134 authoritative data indicators published by various international organizations and institutions—including the OECD and the World Bank—as well as expert surveys. The assessment is conducted across three “evaluation dimensions.”

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Busan has shown a steady rise since first entering the index in 2021 at 62nd place, making a significant leap to 8th place in the 12th edition. This demonstrates the city’s strengthened position as a global smart city.

○ In the Asia-Pacific region, Busan ranked 2nd for the third consecutive time, firmly establishing itself as one of the “Top 2 Smart Cities in Asia.”

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In this evaluation, Busan ranked within the top 15 across all six “competitiveness assessment” categories (advanced technology, business environment, human capital, infrastructure, financial sector development, reputational), solidifying its position among leading cities.

○ The detailed rankings are as follows: Advanced Technology 11th, Business Environment 10th, Human Capital 9th, Infrastructure 9th, Financial Sector Development 8th, and Reputational 10th. Among these, three categories—Advanced Technology (12th → 11th), Financial Sector Development (13th → 8th), and Reputational (11th → 10th)—improved compared to the 11th edition.

○ The rise in the Advanced Technology category is attributed to municipal initiatives aimed at transitioning into a future-oriented, high-tech city, including the creation of the Busan-focused power semiconductor valley, development of a digital twin pilot zone, attraction of a blockchain-specialized cluster project (KRW 20 billion, 2024–2026), and designation of an autonomous vehicle pilot operation district offering related services.

○ The Financial Sector Development category saw the greatest improvement, driven by achievements such as the early completion of Busan’s goal to establish a city-led “fund of funds” (KRW 1.2268 trillion) and the launch of the nation’s first municipal “Busan Future Industry Transition Fund” (KRW 2.3 trillion) to support industrial restructuring.

○ Additional efforts also contributed to the rise in overall rankings, including record-high strategic investment attraction (KRW 16 trillion under the 8th popularly elected administration) and the operation of the “Busan Digital Innovation Academy,” which aims to train 10,000 high-level digital talents.

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Busan ranked first globally in the “Innovation Support” category among the three assessment dimensions—Innovation Support, Creative Intensity, and Delivery Capability—indicating particularly strong performance in regulatory reform and innovation support policies.

○ In March 2025, the city strengthened its business support system by reorganizing the “One-Stop Corporate Support Task Force” under the Digital Economy Office into the expanded “Corporate Support Division.” Busan continues to enhance its business-friendly environment through initiatives such as the “On-Site Corporate Regulatory Innovation Task Force” and the “Public-Private Joint Regulatory Discovery Team.”

○ Additionally, through the launch of the Busan Startup Investment Agency, Busan is building a region-led startup ecosystem by promoting structured support for technology startups and boosting venture investment. The newly reorganized Future Technology Strategy Bureau is enhancing capabilities in research and development (R&D), artificial intelligence (AI), biohealth, big data, and other advanced future industries.

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The city is proactively responding to the development of advanced future industries.

○ Busan is preparing to leap into the future as an “advanced smart city” by integrating digital technologies into its core industries and supporting the growth of innovative digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), big data, quantum computing, robotics, and biotechnology.

○ In March, the city unveiled the “Busan AI Comprehensive Strategy,” presenting a forward-looking blueprint that aligns with the AI era. Busan is also working to cultivate high-tech industries traditionally concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area—for example, by opening the Quantum Science and Technology Center (October 2024) to expand quantum technology capabilities.

○ With the full-scale development of the Eco Delta Smart City National Pilot City project (2025–2039), Busan will accelerate efforts to materialize a leading smart-city model that integrates data-driven urban management, multimodal mobility, robotics, and other innovative services.

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Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Each time the smart city assessment is released, Busan demonstrates remarkable upward momentum, proving its unwavering capabilities,” adding, “We will strive to ensure that Busan grows into a world-class advanced city and becomes the innovation hub of the southern region, ultimately becoming a city where people would choose to live again if given the choice.”