From March 16 to 21, 2026, a Brussels delegation, including Alain Heureux (Beci), Émilie Dupont (City of Brussels), and Brieuc Janssens (Agoria Brussels), traveled to Taipei for the Smart City Summit & Expo. How are some major cities managing to accelerate their transformation through close collaboration between public and private stakeholders?
From the very first hours there, one thing became clear: in Taiwan, the smart city is not a concept in development, but a firmly established reality. And above all, this success rests on a key element that the delegation members quickly identified as crucial: the quality and intensity of the public-private partnership.
Co-innovating to scale up
The Smart City Summit & Expo, which brings together thousands of public decision-makers, technology companies, and investors each year, showcases an ecosystem where cities and businesses co-create solutions, rapidly test them, and deploy them on a large scale. Brieuc Janssens, Manager of Agoria Brussels, emphasizes: “What’s striking here isn’t just the technological level. It’s the seamless collaboration between the public and private sectors. Projects move quickly because everyone is aligned.”
In Taipei, this collaboration translates into the deep integration of digital technology into urban management. Companies develop technologies directly linked to the needs expressed by public authorities, while the latter create a favorable environment for experimentation and deployment. Alain Heureux, representing Beci, stresses this dynamic: “The public sector’s role is essential, but here it acts as a facilitator. It creates the conditions for companies to innovate, test, and scale up rapidly.”
Digital twins for decision-making
This collaborative approach is found in many areas: smart mobility, energy management, digitalized urban services, and data platforms. Solutions are conceived as building blocks of a comprehensive system where each stakeholder plays a complementary role. One of the most striking examples observed by the delegation concerns the development of digital twins.
In Taipei, these virtual replicas make it possible to simulate complex urban scenarios, anticipate changes, and optimize public decisions. But here again, technology is only part of the equation: what makes the difference is that technology companies work closely with local authorities to build tools tailored to the city's real needs.
Émilie Dupont, Director General of the City of Brussels, emphasizes the value of this approach for the capital: “Digital twins are extremely powerful, but they only become truly meaningful if they are developed with public users.” It is this collaboration that allows them to become genuine decision-making tools.” The Brussels delegation also benefited from a particularly well-structured welcome, thanks in particular to the role of Philippe Tzou (AWEX) and the Belgian office in Taipei. The meeting with the city's mayor shed light on the capital's strategy and how it integrates innovation, governance, and collaboration with the private sector. “Here we see what a true co-development approach with businesses can produce. It's inspiring for many of the discussions we're currently having,” explains Brieuc Janssens.
Uniting the Brussels ecosystem
This immersion in Taiwan highlights a contrast with the reality in Brussels. While skills and talent are certainly present in Belgium, collaboration between public and private actors often remains fragmented, hampered by complex processes or a lack of coordination.
However, the goal is not to copy the Taiwanese model. Brieuc Janssens summarizes: “In Brussels, we have everything we need: innovative companies, solid institutions, and talent. The challenge is to better connect these strengths.”
The mission also highlighted the strategic role of intermediary organizations such as Beci and Agoria. By facilitating exchanges between businesses and public authorities, they can play a key role in the emergence of concrete projects. This logic is also reflected in Taiwan’s approach to innovation. Projects are quickly tested, adjusted, and deployed, thanks to a culture of pragmatism and results. Alain Heureux emphasizes this point: “There’s a real culture of experimentation here. We test, we learn, we adapt. And above all, we move forward.”
Another striking element is the emphasis placed on the impact on citizens. Émilie Dupont reminds us: “What matters isn’t the technology itself, but what it enables. And what it enables here is a more efficient and more pleasant city to live in.”
At the end of this mission, Brussels appears to be at a pivotal moment. The challenges are numerous: climate transition, population growth, pressure on infrastructure, but the opportunities are just as plentiful. The Taiwanese experience shows that acceleration is possible, provided that the methods of collaboration are rethought. This implies creating more fluid spaces for dialogue between the public and private sectors, facilitating experimentation, and supporting the scaling up of solutions.
Brieuc Janssens concludes: “The question is no longer whether we should move towards smart cities, but how we organize this transition. And the answer clearly lies in a strengthened public-private partnership.”
By Alain Heureux (Beci), Brieuc Janssens (Agoria) & Émilie Dupont (City of Brussels)