The Smart City Index by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) released on Wednesday found that Chinese cities are moving up in the ranking as technological and economic growth drive smarter urban development.

The annual report showed that the Chinese capital Beijing ranked 14th in this year's survey and Shanghai climbed four places to the 15th position.

Zurich of Switzerland remains at the top of the list, followed by the Norwegian capital Oslo and the Swiss city of Geneva.

"Chinese cities are extremely advanced in terms of technology applications compared to other countries and cities in the world," Arturo Bris, director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center (WCC), told Xinhua.

Bris highlighted Chinese cities' leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), mobility solutions and cashless payment systems, cementing their role as global pioneers in tech-driven urban innovation.

"Chinese cities are clearly on the way up this year and in the coming years," he said.

The report also depicted Chinese cities Chongqing and Hangzhou as demonstrating notable smart city progress over the last three years.

"All Chinese cities are bound by the progress that the Chinese economy is making as a nation. That's why the technologies implemented in the cities are accompanied by measures at the national level that also support the prosperity of cities," said Bris.

The WCC defines a smart city as one balancing economic prowess, applied technology, environmental concerns and inclusiveness to facilitate its citizens' quality of life.

The IMD is a renowned academic institute with campuses in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Singapore. It has an in-country team in Shenzhen, China's southern business center that borders Hong Kong.