The last study visit of ICP-AGIR Asian pairings was conducted during 27-31 March 2023. The delegates from Braga Municipality finally visited Taoyuan City after Taoyuan’s visit to Braga last October. The 8 delegates from Braga were led by the Councilor of Mobility of the Municipality of Braga, Ms. Olga Pereira.
 |  |
The official study visit was kicked off from the visit to the Foxtron Vehicle Technologies. The company designed and produced its Model T buses, which was only introduced in 2022, but have been sold for over 120 buses in 11 cities in Taiwan and Indonesia. The model received the GOOD DESIGN AWARD from Japan for its unique design as there are no protruding parts from the outside of the bus. The bus is equipped with an around-view camera and the radar alert system to improve the safety performance. Braga Municipality City is highly promoting Electric-vehicles and digitalization of the public transportation system in Braga, to meet its goal towards clean mobility transport. Since there is only one Electric bus manufacturer in Portugal, Braga is open to more options and potential cooperations with companies outside of Europe.
In the afternoon, the delegates visited YuanZe University’s Fuel Cell Center, which is an R&D Center focusing on the study of sustainable and efficient fuel cell development. The focus of the center is the production and storage of different types of renewable energies and Hydrogen Energy is one if their key studies. After the campus Tour, YuanZe University and the University of Minho had a virtual MoU signing ceremony. The two universities are committed to the future cooperation on 1) Exchange of students, faculties and researchers and staff 2) Joint research and publications in scientific journals 3) Extension or interactions with the society projects 4) Joint organization of conferences, workshops and/or other scientific events and 5) Teaching and education projects.
On the second day of the study visit, the Braga delegates participated in the Smart City Summit & Expo 2023 (SCSE 2023) which was held in Taipei. The Braga delegate visited exhibition booths of a few cities and companies with a focus on the transportation system. The Braga delegates showed interest in the 360 degrees speed dome outdoor camera with AI function, one camera of this type could replace a few cameras installed in the nearby region. The camera used the common signal transmission methodology so that it can accommodate any platform or system easily. The bus stop information display using the technology of digital e-paper screen also caught the attention of the delegate, due to the fact that it is more energy-efficient and more visible against strong sunlight outdoor.
On the third day of the study visit, Taoyuan city facilitated a cultural visit for the delegate to go to the Daxi Wood Art Eco- Museum. The Eco- Museum is a preserved cultural asset combined with the local community. It’s a public space where all local citizens are a part of the museum, telling the cultural and history of this unique space.
In the afternoon, Braga delegates visited the Transportation Bureau of Taoyuan City. Taoyuan introduced the Information Technology Services that are integrated to the public transportation system to improve the happiness/satisfaction of the citizens.
The study visit of Braga to Taoyuan was closed off by the Mayor of Taoyuan’s formal reception. The Mayor of Taoyuan, Mr. San-Cheng Chang, expressed his sincere gratitude to the hospitality of Braga when Taoyuan visited Braga last year, the study visit was fruitful, and Taoyuan looks forward to cooperating with Braga. The councilor of Braga, Ms. Olga Pereira, stated that she looks forward to the cooperation between 2 cities will not only be limited to the transportation sector.
Hui Qian is a Senior Program Officer at CityNet, where she manages outreach and CityNet Services. Prior to joining CityNet, she worked at ICLEI East Asia Secretariat, with a focus on city-scale research and projects. Hui has a background of Sustainability Science and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Compilation. She obtained a Master of Science in International Cooperation Policy from Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (Japan) and a Master of Engineering in International Material Flow Management from Hochschule Trier (Germany). She is experienced in working under multicultural environment with multidisciplinary cooperation.
