Department of Information Technology

Another important milestone has been achieved in Taipei’s quest to build a smart city! Mayor Ko Wen-je and city officials attended the opening ceremony of the Taipei Urban Intelligence Center (TUIC) in the morning of January 19.
 
During his address, the mayor pointed out that the first task of TUIC is to collect and integrate the data from various city agencies. The next step is to figure out how these data can be used as reference in the shaping and support of the city government’s policies and decision-making in the future. The final step is public-private collaboration in utilizing the service.
 
He understands the public concern over personal data, so any question regarding privacy will be discussed at the Data Governance Committee meetings to establish a working system. In fact, the speed of tech advancement is way faster than the establishment of related regulations. As a leader in this field, Taipei City Government believes that solving a problem when encountering one is the right approach. Of course, city hall remains dedicated to a set of core beliefs comprising open government, public participation, and transparency.
 
The mayor pointed out that in the past, there has never been a political operation basis based upon statistics. The first issue TUIC will tackle is integrating data from across city agencies. Recalling a recent visit to the Fire Department’s Assignment Dispatch Center, Ko remarked that the brigade captains will always check the site of fires on the iPad first to look up details such as the presence of illegal structures; the width of fire evacuation alleys; the number of disabled people in the building; whether help is required to evacuate bedridden residents, and more. Data integration from multiple agencies is important, as it allows first responders to obtain info on the location beforehand, enabling them to plan ahead and minimize risks.
 
Ko stressed that the city government seeks not only to introduce advanced technologies, but also to herald in the age of data-based city governance and decision-making. Frankly, the use of data usually comes hand-in-hand on protecting privacy, and that is role which the Data Governance Committee fulfills: supervising the use of info and protecting personal data.