Past event · TLA Taiwan × TLA Smart Cities
Smart Cities Build Jam
AIoT and Smart Cities—a hands-on UK–Taiwan workshop turning city-tech ideas into working Agentic AI prototypes in a single evening.
A bridge between two city-tech ecosystems
Co-hosted by Tech London Advocates Taiwan and the TLA Smart Cities Working Group, the Build Jam deepened UK–Taiwan collaboration on AIoT and smart cities—bringing together founders, PropTech and construction innovators, sustainability and urban specialists, and curious technologists from both countries. No advanced technical background required.
The focus was AI-assisted exploration and idea-building rather than full technical development—examining how AI is reshaping physical spaces, from individual offices to city-wide infrastructure. Threads ran from automated climate control and anomalous energy detection in buildings to congestion prediction, renewable-energy optimisation and “what if” district simulations for planners.
The evening opened with a welcome from Wayne Wang, Co-Chair of TLA Taiwan, on the group's mission to build a bridge of innovation between the UK and Taiwan through culture, technology and creativity—with thanks to TLA Smart Cities, Gravita and the NSTC for their support.
How the evening ran
- 17:00 – 17:30Registration & networking
- 17:30 – 18:20Inspiration talks
- 18:20 – 19:50Hands-on Build Jam & dinner
- 19:50 – 20:20Team presentations
- 20:20 – 20:30Closing awards
AIoT and smart-city applications, from Taipei to London
Roy Lin
City AI, Taipei Urban Intelligence Centre
How city-scale data and simulation support smarter infrastructure planning and policy, drawing on Taipei's smart-governance experience.
Ian Tsern
Data Scientist, Urban Initiatives
Applying data science and AI to urban infrastructure and masterplanning—turning complex city data into actionable decisions.
Paul Sheedy
Founder, unifi.id · Director, Golden Thread Taskforce
Real-time and predictive analytics for how buildings are used—optimising operations, cutting energy waste and enabling data-driven risk management.
Five teams. Sixty minutes. Working prototypes.
Participants grouped by technical, commercial and creative background and built Agentic AI prototypes for smart infrastructure, urban sensing and energy. The room voted live; three teams took home awards.
Team Taiwan
Big Idea AwardA smart bike-navigation service combining London traffic, air pollution, safety and cycle-route data to help riders reach their destination more safely and efficiently—and make urban mobility more sustainable.
Taiphoon
Social Impact AwardPulse—an AI civic-participation platform helping residents track local issues, understand policy and tax, follow neighbourhood changes, and have a real say in the decisions that affect them.
Pulse pitch deckTrust Path
Ready to Build AwardSafety-aware AI navigation for getting home at night—designed with women and night-time pedestrians in mind—routing around risk and able to signal nearby devices in an emergency.
Troublemakers
A community-safety AI tool that integrates local environment and public information to identify potential risks and support early warning and response.
Crime Prevention pitch deckUCL Alum
A Taipei travel AI agent that builds personalised itineraries—attractions, transport, dining and activities—around each visitor’s preferences.
Outcomes
~50 participants—startups, engineers, creatives, students, industry representatives and investors.
Hands-on with Gemini, Claude, n8n and Zeabur to build first Agentic AI prototypes.
Deeper UK–Taiwan ties across city tech, with several teams keen to keep developing their builds.
Raised Taiwan's visibility within the UK technology ecosystem.
Gallery
Co-hosted by Tech London Advocates Taiwan and the TLA Smart Cities Working Group. Hosted at Gravita, Aldgate Tower, 2 Leman St, London E1 8FA, with support from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and Spencer West, and dinner by Ni Fon Kitchen.
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