IDECS 2026: Future cities need results, not just technology

KUCHING, 6 Oct: Future city development should focus on solving real problems and improving people’s lives, rather than simply adding more technology.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian said the value of a future city should be measured by its impact on residents.

“The future city is not just technology. It’s how technology solves the problem. It’s how it impacts on people’s lives. That’s what we are interested in,” he said at the International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS) 2026, here.

Dr Sim said Sarawak had to shape its approach according to its own needs, including transport, connectivity, utilities and the challenges faced by both urban and rural communities.

He added that technology should support better outcomes rather than become the objective itself.

Dr Sim also pointed to the need for projects to be financially workable and backed by the right partnerships, particularly as Sarawak develops major infrastructure and urban services.

Meanwhile, MIGHT research analyst Dr Nurul Hidayah Shabdin said this was where the concept of a ‘bankable city’ became important.

“Bankable cities are not built by buying more technology.

“They are built by connecting technology to measurable challenges, outcomes, reliable funding, disciplined risk allocation and accountable delivery,” she said.

Nurul said an attractive smart city idea was not automatically an investable project.

She said every project needed a clear scope, delivery model, measurable service and defined financial, social and environmental outcomes. – TVS