Major recent developments in smart cities across the Southeast Asia (SEA) region reflect a growing commitment to leveraging technology, data and sustainable urban planning to address rapid urbanisation and infrastructure challenges. Governments and city authorities are increasingly adopting smart solutions in areas such as mobility, energy, water and waste management, and public services. With strong backing from both the public and private sectors, several cities in the region are emerging as innovation hubs, driven by digital transformation, citizen-centric governance and strategic investments.
Several smart cities in SEA countries like Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore are driving innovative digital developments and strengthening urban resilience. Alongside, other SEA countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Timor Leste and Myanmar are also steadily progressing with initiatives and infrastructure development to make their cities sustainable and smart.
Malaysia
Malaysia is making confident strides towards realising its vision of an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered smart nation, underpinned by strong digital infrastructure, regulatory reform and public sector innovation. The government’s MyDigital agenda sets the tone for this transformation, with the establishment of the National AI Office and updates to key legislative frameworks, including the Personal Data Protection Act and Cyber Security Act. Each Malaysian state is being encouraged to lead its own smart city journey with emphasis on state-level leadership. For instance, Penang is progressing steadily with its AI-driven traffic management system, designed to optimise traffic flow efficiency. Similarly, Miri in Sarawak is driving forward smart transformation with 16 projects worth RM 110.5 million having been successfully implemented under Project Rakyat by the Miri City Council. Further, as of May 2025, 14 development projects worth RM 123.5 million have been approved in Miri under the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-25). These projects are expected to help bolster Miri’s vision of becoming a green and smart city through infrastructure development.
Philippines
The Philippines is making steady progress in smart city development through a multilayered approach. Its flagship projects like the Mall of Asia Complex exemplify this vision, featuring smart technologies, including energy-efficient systems, solar photovoltaic installations and advanced wastewater treatment facilities, all aimed at promoting sustainability and operational efficiency.
At the national level, the government has taken a decisive step with the formal approval of the National AI Strategy for the Philippines in May 2025. This forward-looking road map aims to embed AI into various aspects of smart cities by focusing on digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystems such as AI Factory.
The country’s Department of Science and Technology is also supporting bottom-up innovation. In a notable example, in March 2025, Maasin City was awarded PhP 1.6 million to implement its own smart city project.
Indonesia
Indonesia’s smart city development is evolving rapidly, with Jakarta emerging as a front runner through its targeted initiatives under the broader 100 smart cities movement. Anchored in the six key domains of smart cities, that is, economy, environment, government, living, mobility and security, the Jakarta smart city is advancing its smart economy agenda. Programmes like Jakpreneur are designed to integrate micro, small and medium enterprises into a digital entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering marketing support, funding, training and networking opportunities. Other notable efforts include JakOne Pay, a digital payment platform developed with Bank DKI to promote cashless transactions, and Jaknaker, which centralises employment opportunities.
Vietnam
Vietnam is undergoing a defining phase in its smart urban development journey. As of 2025, 48 out of 63 provinces have initiated smart city projects, supported by over 40 provincial and nearly 100 district-level intelligent operations centres (IOCs). These serve as centralised hubs for overseeing and analysing urban functions. IOCs aid in enhancing the delivery of public services.
Singapore
Singapore stands as a global exemplar in smart city transformation, having achieved significant milestones through the effective implementation of its “Smart Nation” strategy. It has strengthened the digital public infrastructure with nearly 99 per cent of government-to-citizen transactions now being conducted online. Digital payment adoption in the country has also risen as approximately 95 per cent of businesses now use PayNow, a digital payment method offering instant fund transfer in Singapore. Ninety-seven per cent of the citizens are registered on this platform. Moreover, Singapore has entered the next phase of its smart city journey with the launch of Smart Nation 2.0 in October 2024. This vision revolves around three strategic pillars: trust, growth and community. Under the trust agenda, Singapore is reinforcing its cybersecurity architecture by revising the Cybersecurity Act, proposing a new Digital Infrastructure Act in 2025 to ensure resilience across cloud services, data centres and other critical systems. The growth pillar is supported by an SGD120-million fund investment for AI adoption across key sectors such as healthcare, logistics, education and scientific research.
Other emerging smart city developments in SEA
Beyond the front runners, several SEA nations are actively advancing their own smart city agendas. In Thailand, for instance, the government’s ambitious National Smart City Plan seeks to transform 105 locations, including Bangkok, into centres of digital governance and clean energy. A notable example is the revitalisation of Rattanakosin Island into a smart heritage district, where AI-driven monitoring and digital mapping help preserve historic landmarks while improving urban mobility and disaster responsiveness. Besides, the Eastern Economic Corridor Capital City project near Pattaya aims to create a world-class innovation hub in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor.
In Cambodia, transformation is being driven by the Pentagonal Strategy-Phase I, which places sustainable cities at the centre of development. Cambodia has pledged to generate 70 per cent of its energy from clean sources by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Timor-Leste, while still in the early stages of digital development, is making meaningful progress. With 1.75 million active mobile connections as of early 2025, the country is focusing on expanding internet access and implementing its Timor Digital 2032 agenda, targeting key sectors such as e-governance, education, and others. In Myanmar, the Nay Pyi Taw Council is advancing efforts to turn Naypayidaw into a clean, green and smart city.
Charting future paths
As SEA’s urban landscapes continue to evolve, the path forward for smart city development lies in embracing a regionally connected, human-centric and future-ready vision. Building on the legacy of impactful projects and initiatives, the next chapter calls for greater collaboration, deeper inclusion and resilient innovation. In parallel, there is growing scope for shared digital standards, cross-border innovation platforms and integrated infrastructure networks in areas such as mobility, cybersecurity and data governance.
Further, climate-resilient technologies, circular economy models and smart energy systems must be embedded into urban planning from the outset. Lastly, as governments increasingly endeavour to harness AI, internet of things and data analytics, building public confidence through cybersecurity, strong digital ethics and robust privacy safeguards will be key.
