WSCE 2025 Overview
The World Smart City Expo (WSCE) is a global event showcasing smart city technologies and solutions across ICT, IoT, energy, mobility, and urban infrastructure. The 2025 edition is expected to bring together more than 400 companies from over 30 countries, creating a platform for international technology exchange and business matching around practical smart city deployment.
Bangladesh is pursuing smart city transformation in Dhaka, Chattogram, and other major urban centers under the "Smart Bangladesh 2041" vision. In that context, the technologies and solution portfolios presented by WSCE exhibitors provide a useful benchmark for market entry and partnership development. This report reviews exhibitor distribution by industry and maps those capabilities to concrete opportunities in Bangladesh.
ICT Exhibitors (35%)
ICT represents the largest exhibitor segment at WSCE, covering cloud platforms, AI and big data, cybersecurity, and digital twin solutions that form the backbone of smart city operating systems. Korean participants such as 코리아텔레콤, Korea Telecom, Naver Cloud, and Korea Corp SDS typically position integrated urban platforms, smart street lighting, and intelligent CCTV systems as export-ready offerings for overseas city modernization projects.
| Company | Country | Core Technology | Application Area | Bangladesh Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 코리아텔레콤 | Korea | Integrated urban platform | AI operations | Dhaka smart city |
| Korea Telecom | Korea | AI and big data | Traffic and environment | IoT infrastructure |
| Korea SDS | Korea | Blockchain and AI | Logistics and security | Digital logistics |
| Huawei | China | 5G and cloud | Telecom infrastructure | 5G equipment |
| Cisco | United States | Networking and security | Urban networks | Cybersecurity |
| Siemens | Germany | Digital twin | Buildings and infrastructure | Factory automation |
IoT and Energy Segment Analysis
In the IoT segment, key exhibit items include environmental monitoring sensors, smart lighting, smart parking, and water and air quality measurement systems. Dhaka remains one of the world's most pollution-stressed megacities, which creates a clear use case for IoT-based air quality monitoring and urban environmental intelligence.
The energy segment centers on smart grids, energy storage systems, distributed power management, and EV charging infrastructure. Bangladesh has strong demand for smart metering and grid automation to reduce transmission and distribution losses, estimated at roughly 12-15%, which opens a viable channel for Korean energy technology exports.
Transport and Urban Infrastructure
| Segment | Core Technology | Share | Korean Companies | Bangladesh Demand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITS | AI signal control and CCTV | 8% | Korea Motors AutoEver | Dhaka traffic management |
| MaaS | App-based multimodal transport | 4% | Kakao T | Public transport integration |
| Autonomous Driving | V2X and LiDAR | 3% | Korea Motors, Naver Labs | Long-term potential |
| Smart Water | IoT leak detection | 5% | K-water | Water loss reduction |
| Waste Management | AI sorting and route optimization | 4% | Reco, Eco Creation | Dhaka waste systems |
| Smart Buildings | BMS and energy efficiency | 3% | Korea C&T, Korea Steel E&C | LEED buildings |
Bangladesh Opportunity Mapping
WSCE functions both as a technology showcase and as a practical business platform. Bangladesh's Smart Bangladesh 2041 agenda is generating cross-sector demand in ICT, IoT, energy, and mobility, and many of the solutions displayed at WSCE fit those needs directly. For Korean companies, the most effective route is to build references through WSCE, structure pilot proposals with KOTRA support, and then scale into Bangladesh through package-based smart city exports tied to public financing channels.