Smart City Association (스마트도시협회)

What Smart City Association (스마트도시협회) does

Smart City Association (스마트도시협�) is a Seoul-based non-profit industry association founded in 2017, headquartered in Yeongdeungpo-gu, that serves as the principal convener for Korea's smart city ecosystem. Its membership roster spans major domestic telcos and system integrators (LG CNS, KT, Global Telecom), public corporations (LH, K-water), and broader stakeholder groups, organized under regular and general member tiers. The association employs approximately 10 staff and is operationally backed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT).

Its core asset base consists of three digital platforms and one flagship event. The Smart City Comprehensive Portal (smartcity.go.kr) functions as the public-facing information hub; the Solution Market curates vendor offerings for municipal and government buyers; and the Smart City Standardization Forum coordinates industry-wide reference standards. The association also operates the World Smart City Expo (WSCE), the dominant domestic showcase for the sector, and from 2025 has co-launched the K-AI City Policy Forum with MOLIT to coordinate national policy on AI-driven smart city deployments.

The business model is membership-dues driven, supplemented by government program funding (notably through MOLIT and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development) and event-related sponsorship around WSCE and supporting workshops. Growth is being pursued through ecosystem expansion: in 2025 the association signed MOUs with Lukis (AI elderly isolation), the Korea Disaster Safety Management Association, Hallym University Medical Center (smart hospitals), Newbility (autonomous driving robots), and Dongsung iTech (smart city solutions), and in 2024 initiated a French-market acceleration program in partnership with KISED. The association does not develop proprietary AI technology; its role is orchestration, curation, and standardization rather than product development.

Name

Smart City Association (스마트도시협회)

Legal name

스마트도시협회

Website

https://smartcity.or.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smart City Association (스마트도시협�) is a Seoul-based non-profit industry association, founded in 2017, that convenes Korean telcos, system integrators, public corporations, and government around three digital platforms and the World Smart City Expo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association / Smart City Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Transportation, Parking & Mobility Administration (BPAIACAM), Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

Keywords

• Smart city association
• Industry membership services
• Smart city standardization
• Urban technology platform
• Smart city policy forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Association operates through membership fees from member companies, with different membership tiers including regular members (일반사, 이사사, 부회장사, 회장사) and general members (일반회원)

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smart City Association is a non-profit industry association that operates a portfolio of three digital platforms — the Smart City Comprehensive Portal, the Solution Market, and the Smart City Standardization Forum — while providing membership services, policy advocacy, and industry events such as the World Smart City Expo and K-AI City policy forums to coordinate Korea's smart city ecosystem. Its activities are funded through membership fees from member companies across multiple tiers and through co-hosted programs with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Product overview

Smart City Association (스마트도시협회) operates as a non-profit association supporting Korea's smart city ecosystem. The organization provides a portfolio of three interconnected digital platforms: the Smart City Comprehensive Portal for national smart city information and coordination, the Solution Market for smart city solution distribution, and the Smart City Standardization Forum for standards development. These platforms serve member companies, government agencies, and local governments by facilitating smart city development, technology dissemination, and international cooperation. The association also organizes major events including the World Smart City Expo (WSCE), publishes newsletters, manages member benefits programs, and supports policy initiatives such as the K-AI City program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart City Comprehensive Portal (스마트시티 종합 포털) A national comprehensive portal platform for smart city information, operated in coordination with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It provides centralized access to smart city news, policies, and resources for member companies, government agencies, and local governments in Korea.
• Smart City Solution Market (솔루션 마켓) A marketplace platform for smart city solutions, enabling member companies to showcase and distribute their smart city technologies and services to buyers across government and industry.
• Smart City Standardization Forum (스마트도시 표준화 포럼) A dedicated forum supporting the development and dissemination of smart city standards and best practices across the Korean smart city ecosystem, accessible to member companies, government agencies, and researchers.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and standard.

• 국토교통부 (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2025Co-hosting K-AI City policy consultation sessions with metropolitan and basic local governments on September 16, 2025
• 주식회사 루키스 (Lukis Co., Ltd.)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 August 2025MOU signed August 11, 2025 for 'AI City 광역망 기반 고독사 예방 표준 서비스 추진 및 확산' (AI City metropolitan network-based elderly isolation prevention standard service promotion and expansion)
• 한국재난안전경영협회 (Korea Disaster Safety Management Association)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2025MOU signed July 8, 2025 for building smart city safety management systems in the AI convergence era
• 한림대학교의료원 (Hallym University Medical Center)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2025MOU signed July 2, 2025 for cooperation in robot, AI, and data-based smart hospital and smart city space design
• 뉴빌리티 (Newbility)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025MOU signed June 30, 2025 for cooperation in smart city safety networks, multi-function autonomous driving robots, and flexible parking systems
• 동성아이텍 (Dongsung iTech)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025MOU signed June 30, 2025 for cooperation in smart city safety networks, multi-function autonomous driving robots, and flexible parking systems
• 국토교통부 (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2025Joint hosting of Chongcheong-Jeolla region Smart City Technology and Achievement Sharing Workshop on April 22, 2025
• 창업진흥원 (Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development)standardStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 July 2024Co-organizer of 2024 Global Accelerating Support Program Kick-off Day for European (France) market entry support

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Korea Internet & IT Agency (KISA): Government-affiliated Korean ICT industry body running programs in internet policy, cybersecurity, and digital ecosystem development. Comparable as a domestic institutional counterpart supporting Korean ICT and digital city initiatives adjacent to the association's remit.
• Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI): Korean government-affiliated think tank producing research on digital society, ICT policy, and smart cities. Comparable in its role producing research, policy input, and academic-industry bridging that supports the smart city ecosystem in Korea.
• Korea AI Industry Association (KORAIA): Korean industry association convening AI vendors, users, and policymakers. Comparable as a Korea-based AI-adjacent industry association whose ecosystem overlaps the AI-driven smart city agenda (e.g., K-AI City) the subject association now hosts.

Direct peers

• Smart Cities Council: A global industry coalition that connects smart city practitioners, companies, and governments through advocacy, events, and readiness frameworks. Most directly comparable as a non-vendor smart city industry association with similar convening, policy, and member-services model.
• Cities Today: Global media and events platform dedicated to city innovation and smart city projects. Comparable as a member-facing channel that combines industry news, awards, and convening, much like the association's newsletter, portal, and WSCE offerings.
• Smart City Expo World Congress (Fira de Barcelona): The leading international smart city event and conference brand, hosting city delegations, vendors, and solution providers. Comparable to Smart City Association's World Smart City Expo (WSCE) in role as a flagship industry gathering and member-facing showcase.
• G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance (World Economic Forum): WEF-coordinated international initiative establishing smart city policy principles and city networks. Comparable as a multi-stakeholder alliance promoting smart city adoption and serving as a peer venue for cross-border partnerships similar to those the subject association pursues.

Emerging players

• FIWARE Foundation: Open-source foundation supporting a smart city data/context platform and standards adoption. Comparable in its role pushing smart city technical standardization and an interoperable solution ecosystem, an area the subject association targets via its Standardization Forum.

Others

• International Telecommunication Union (ITU): UN specialized agency for ICTs running the U4SSC (United for Smart Sustainable Cities) initiative and related smart city standards. Comparable as the highest-level international venue where smart city standards and policy frameworks are set, parallel to the subject's standardization role in Korea.
• BSI Group (British Standards Institution): National standards body operating a smart cities program (PAS 183 smart city standards). Comparable as a standards-side organization whose smart city standardization work overlaps the subject association's Smart City Standardization Forum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@smartcity_association
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sca-korea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smart City Association (스마트도시협회)