Southeast Asia region

Malaysia: Deepening Cooperation on Smart Cities with China

On May 5th, the Malaysian and Chinese governments confirmed that they will enhance cooperation on smart city pilot projects. They plan to establish smart city command centers in second-tier cities such as Ipoh and Seberang Perai. This project was agreed upon during a meeting between Malaysian Minister of Housing and Local Government Noor Akmal and Chinese Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong last year. It will serve as a "living laboratory" for smart technologies, energy-saving designs, and community-oriented housing models. The pilot project will deploy intelligent infrastructure in public buildings, including energy-saving systems, smart meters, building management systems based on the Internet of Things (IoT), as well as digital public services such as community security and facility reservations. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of Malaysia has issued a unified directive to 156 local governments across the country, requiring them to implement six energy-saving measures immediately. These include keeping the air conditioning temperature in public buildings no lower than 24°C, implementing a phased policy for remote working, promoting solar photovoltaic panels, LED lighting, and intelligent building management systems, and conducting regular energy audits.

Vietnam: Smart Cities and Regulatory Revisions Advance Simultaneously

On May 8th, the Vietnam Smart City Asia 2026 Forum and International Exhibition was held at the Saigon Convention and Exhibition Center (SECC) in Ho Chi Minh City. It lasted for three days and was supported by the Ho Chi Minh City Government and the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam. The exhibition featured over 500 booths, showcasing smart city technologies and solutions. At the policy level, the Ministry of Construction of Vietnam is accelerating the revision of the "Building Law" (2019 edition), with the draft emphasizing green buildings, energy efficiency, and digital transformation. It is expected to be submitted to the government for review in June. Additionally, in early 2026, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam issued Resolution No. 80, updating the urban sustainable development action plan and clearly stating the goal of building at least 5 globally competitive smart cities by 2045. 

In Ho Chi Minh City, it is planned to establish a Smart Urban Operations Center by 2026, utilizing AI, machine learning and chatbot technologies for real-time data integration and support for urban management decisions. Quy Nhơn City also approved a smart city development project (2026–2030) in early 2026, planning to prioritize the implementation of 21 key smart city projects in 2026–2027.

Singapore: Framework for Mandatory Energy Conservation and Smart Building Policies in the Public Sector

Previously, the public sector in Singapore had issued comprehensive energy-saving directives due to the Middle East oil crisis. It required all government institutions to raise the temperature of air conditioning to above 25°C, shut down non-essential equipment, and accelerate the installation of energy-saving systems such as LED lighting and smart sensors. Meanwhile, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore is continuously implementing the "Green Building Master Plan", with goals including "80% of building areas achieving greening" and "80% of new projects meeting the ultra-low energy consumption (SLE) standard". 

Recently, it is worth noting that the Singapore Information Communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) released a public consultation on the revision of the "Code of Practice for Information Communication Facilities in Buildings" (COPIF) in March, aiming to further standardize the requirements for intelligent communication infrastructure in buildings.

European and American area

EU: The deadline for the implementation of the EPBD (May 29th) is approaching, and member states are accelerating the implementation of the mechanism.

The legally binding deadline for the revision of the EU's "Building Energy Efficiency Directive" (EPBD) is May 29, 2026, with only about 18 days remaining. The European Commission released an implementation guideline package in June 2025, requiring each member state to incorporate the directive's content into their domestic laws. The revised EPBD will introduce new minimum energy efficiency standards for new and existing buildings and strengthen energy efficiency requirements for non-residential buildings.

UK: Futurebuild 2026 Conference Shifts Focus to Renovation of Public Buildings

The "Futurebuild 2026" exhibition in the UK, scheduled to take place at the ExCeL Exhibition Center in London from May 12th to 14th, 2026, is the largest event in the UK's construction and environment industry. Among them, the National Retrofit Conference has released the complete agenda. The Minister for Energy Consumers will deliver a keynote speech on May 13th morning, placing the national retrofit implementation plan and the "Warm Homes" agenda at the core of the conference. The conference will cover five main themes: low-carbon heating pathways, cooling efficiency and climate resilience, building retrofit and life cycle carbon management, policies and leadership.