The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry has announced it will select an area as a model for a smart city project as part of its efforts to improve the quality of people’s life through the use of cutting-edge technologies.

The ministry will embark on the project in collaboration with private firms, which will utilize social infrastructure data owned by the government using private firms’ state-of-the-art technologies, in order to solve problems such as the ageing population and traffic congestion.

The ministry plans to collect ideas from companies and local governments about projects they want to carry out and then select an area as a model as early as spring next year.

In a smart city, state-owned data such as people’s movements and land features will be utilized for the active introduction of self-driving cars and to make it easier for people to change trains, bus and other transportation. The ministry aims to create a stress-free environment for residents in the smart city.