Opportunities for UK in Asian 'smart cities'

The opportunities for UK construction in the rapidly growing cities of Asia are “immediate and sustainable”, according to a new report from UK Trade & Industry published this week.

The report, carried out by consultant Frost & Sullivan on behalf of UKTI, analysed a number of cities in terms of “smart development” across 10 high-growth markets: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The report highlighted burgeoning opportunities for UK construction in these markets, particularly in green building technology and retrofitting, with demand for British expertise in these areas growing.

The report defined “smart cities” as those that achieve sustainability through integration of ICT and other technologies into their planning, design and management, adding that by 2020, there are expected to be around 40 such cities around the world with Asia leading the way.

Frost & Sullivan director Iain Jawad said: “For UK businesses able to successfully penetrate these markets, the opportunity is both immediate and sustainable.”

Ed Baker, a Singapore-based director of architect Broadway Malyan, agreed that British regeneration and low-carbon expertise was in high demand in Asia and said he had recently taken a delegation of Chinese planners to see London developments such as the Greenwich Peninsula.

“The delegation was very keen to know about regeneration, applying green principles and the move towards a knowledge-based economy,” he said.