BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Smart cities are becoming a major frontier for investment, from climate tech and mobility to housing and digital infrastructure. This panel will explore how venture capital, corporate VC, and private equity are navigating shifting markets, regulation, and technology—and where capital is heading by 2030 across AI, green construction, and other scalable urban solutions

A panel exploring how cultural, geographical, and policy diversity shapes Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM) in smart cities. Featuring transport planners, policymakers, and CCAM developers, the discussion shares practical examples from Europe.

As climate risk grows, housing investors are backing retrofits, renewables, and net-zero solutions. This session dives into how blended finance and policy tools are turning climate resilience in housing into investable opportunities for cities and private capital.

In this session we will explain what the Barcelona Innova Lab Mobility consists of, which arises from the collaboration between the Barcelona City Council, Fira de Barcelona, and BITHabitat, with the recent addition of new partners. In this regard, the current portfolio of projects will be presented, as well as the theme of the new mobility challenge that will be launched to the public.

Three cutting-edge startups take the stage to pitch their innovative solutions for digitalizing cities and utilities. Each startup will present their vision, technology, and impact potential to our distinguished jury of venture capitalists and industry leaders including Schréder, Via Verde, Connexin, BNP Paribas Solar Impulse, EIT Urban Mobility, Bloomhaus Ventures, Demeter, and Plug and Play. Following the pitches, the jury will engage in a live Q&A session, diving deep into each startup's business model, scalability, and market opportunity.

Legal foundation in place, LDT CitiVERSE EDIC takes its first steps. Its mission to create a harmonized ecosystem around Digital Twins has already officially started with the establishment of the legal entity and with the recently launched BUILD project as a driving force for the setting up With 14 members states on board the LDT CitiVERSE EDIC becomes a reality as the foundation for intelligent, sustainable and human-centric urban environments.

Dive into the dynamic world of Urban Shark Tank, where visionary companies pitch real-world solutions to a panel of city leaders determined to accelerate climate neutrality. This interactive session blends entrepreneurial spirit, creative storytelling, and urban innovation—offering a fast-paced stage for ideas ready to scale across smart, sustainable cities.

Showcasing how European cities can align sustainability efforts for cohesive, transformative change. This session explores how integrated planning and smart urban technologies drive systemic shifts — linking energy, water, mobility, housing, and public space. With Benidorm as a case study and insights from EU initiatives, we highlight scalable, cross-sector strategies for greener, more liveable cities.

Climate change challenges urban mobility, and the EIT Urban Mobility report Costs & Benefits of the Urban Mobility Transition highlights public transport as the most cost-effective way to cut emissions. The panel, moderated by EIT Urban Mobility , will explore how innovation in public transport can accelerate progress toward the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal, featuring experts from CARRIS-Lisbon PTO, Tranvías de Zaragoza, Freenow and GOOGLE.

Launched in March 2025, MICAD is an EU-funded project supporting inclusive metropolitan planning for climate and digital transitions. This session will present its goals, approach, and main outputs—including toolkits and Roadmaps—and invite participants to share feedback to help refine and adapt the project.

Many transport innovations are coming our way. We don't know which ones will stay and which ones will be next, but we do know that the majority will be rolled out on city streets. How can cities smartly choose those innovations that will help them reach their policy goals, but also discourage those that don’t bring added value? What does it take for private-sector innovations to support rather than disrupt what local authorities want to achieve? How can we come to policy-responsive innovation that is a win for both the public and private sectors? Cities and regions from the POLIS network will share their experiences on how to govern innovation but also innovate their governance systems.

GCoM, the largest global alliance of cities fighting climate change, will showcase success stories of climate action worldwide, including smart mobility in Shimla (India), floating infrastructure for sea-level rise in Belize City, and waste-to-biogas projects in Basse and Sekondi-Takoradi (Ghana). It will also launch its 2025 Impact Report highlighting implementation progress.

Alliance of European Mayors and Better Politics Foundation co-produced a documentary on innovation in European cities, spotlighted mayors and cities that are pioneering new approaches to democratic resilience, digital transformation, and citizen engagement. Outstanding mayors from cities such as Stockholm, Bologna and Lisbon participates in this powerful story of how local leadership is reshaping democracy from the ground up.

Join to explore how (and why!) inclusive innovation can drive positive change. From the EU’s vision and funding impact to specific insights from those supporting innovation on connectivity, circularity, mobility, or to improve resilience, the debate connects policy to practice with contributions spanning public institutions, cities and the private sector.

DRT proves to be an effective solution in contexts such as low-density areas or late-night services. But scaling remains complex - profitability, regulation, and public-private contracting all pose challenges. Could autonomous vehicles help unlock the full potential of DRT, or do they add new layers of complexity to this model?

Session 2 showcases three additional startups revolutionizing the way cities and utilities operate. These innovators will present their groundbreaking technologies to our expert jury panel, competing for the chance to secure non-dilutive funding, strategic partnerships, and investment interest. Following each pitch, our jury of industry leaders and top-tier VCs will challenge, question, and explore the potential of each solution.

Explore Austria’s pioneering autonomous bus project in Carinthia, led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and SURAAA-Smart Urban Region Austria Alps Adriatic and discover smart city solutions by: Commend: Real-Time Multilingual Communication; Designa: Smart Parking & Charging; Infrared City: Climate-Informed Urban Planning; Lixtec: Sensor Street Lighting; Rubicon: Digital Lost & Found; Skidata: Integrated Access; Tridonic: Smart Lighting

This session will explore how Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twin technologies can be applied across the entire AECO and urban project lifecycle, from strategic and integrated planning to design, smart construction and smart mobility, showcasing real case studies and innovative projects developed within the ZIGURAT Master’s in Global Smart City Management.

This stage session reveals how standard municipal operations across Europe—from cybersecurity protocols to smart city infrastructure management—actively safeguard digital rights, often without being framed in rights-based language. This session will start with a key-note from the EU Commission on the latest report of the Digital Decade 2030

Join representatives from CIVITAS, Driving Urban Transitions, Smart Cities Marketplace, and EIT Urban Mobility for a discussion on mobility and urban sustainability. Discover inspiring European practices, see how research, policy, and innovation combine to drive systemic change, and explore how collaboration can accelerate more connected, accessible, and sustainable cities.

This session will explore how diverse data-driven approaches can be used to enhance road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. By bringing together practical examples from EIT Urban Mobility's innovation program and broader European project collaborations, the session aims to demonstrate how mobility data can inform smarter infrastructure and enhance traffic safety for all road users.

This session explores how cities can manage tourism sustainably, using a resilience-based approach to balance the influx of visitors and their economic benefits with the affordability and livability of their residents. Barcelona, Amsterdam and Rio de Janeiro will present initiatives towards this purpose. Moreover, UN-Habitat and UN-Tourism will present a new global effort to help cities and territories assess tourism-related risks and their positive and undesirable impacts on the urban system.

A truly intelligent city is a well-designed one—where every space, infrastructure, and function is optimized with a focus on resource efficiency and resilience. This conference aims to broaden the Smart City paradigm by embracing complementary approaches, combining high-tech and low-tech innovations, leveraging local stakeholders and existing strengths, promoting responsible resource use, and making the most of the existing urban fabric.

The event will highlight specific city challenges - in France, Grenoble and Germany, Jena and in Tokyo Japan. Projects established to address key issues related to Climate and social change will be presented from the points of view of several stakeholders with a focus on the challenges, results and their potential for tackling similar issues in other urban regions.

Road traffic deaths are the most common cause of accidental death at the workplace, with an alarming, estimated number of 400,000 per year: a third of the 1.19 million people that die each year as a result of road traffic crashes occurs in someone’s value chain. The FIA developed the Road Safety Index, a program that help organizations to assess the safety impact of their operations, identify gaps, and implement long-term improvements.

UK Cities today are grappling with a perfect storm of infrastructure challenges: aging buildings, increased flooding, and rising temperatures are straining systems that were never designed for today’s climate extremes. Failing infrastructure leads to cascading impacts on people and transport systems. But how can digital infrastructure, such as data sharing infrastructure, help to tackle the environmental and social problems cities face?

This session explores how Digital Citizenship Education (DCE) can be a powerful tool to address youth exclusion and gender inequalities in a connected society. PLATFORMA, with the involvement of local authorities, CSOs, and youth actors, will showcase solutions for inclusive digital spaces and empower local action against online violence, discrimination, and democratic disengagement.

European cities are rapidly advancing their digital transformation, making cybersecurity and trust essential for urban resilience. EU frameworks such as NIS2, the CRA, and the AI Act, together with funding programmes like Horizon Europe, drive standardization and cross-border collaboration. This session will explore how these initiatives can shape cohesive and future-proof city security strategies.

Fast-paced and inspiring, this session brings together universities and research centers to the stage. Each organization gives a 10 minute presentation about their cutting-edge projects, revealing emerging discoveries, and exploring how their work is shaping the future of smart cities.

EUonAIR’s Smart & Green UniverCity Labs foster collaboration between universities, municipalities, businesses, and citizens. By linking AI, sustainability, and living labs, the project drives knowledge transfer that empowers smarter, greener, and more inclusive cities.

Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), the main public transport operator in Barcelona, has established a unified electric model for both the metro system and the urban bus network under its management. 

This initiative considers the power and energy consumption requirements of both the metro infrastructure and the fleet of over 1,100 buses, which will be predominantly electric. 

To ensure the power supply required by the bus depots, and to do so through an efficient and more cost-effective system, TMB will power all bus-related facilities by leveraging the receiving substations that currently supply energy to the metro network. 

The power demand of the bus network, which is significantly high, occurs primarily during night-time hours—contrary to the metro’s energy needs. Therefore, the consumption patterns of both networks are fully compatible and can be supported through a single contracted power line.

Technological solutions for buildings and urban infrastructures to enhance performance and adaptive capacity in response to climate change impacts, including temperature rise and extreme weather phenomena.

We connect centralised and decentralised smart city technologies with local neighbourhoods by building and testing very simple and tangible prototypes. In these prototypes, the digital data tends to recede into the background, while the joy of playing with tangible elements could support citizen engagement and behavioural change on site in a simpler way.

Planning and implementation of solutions to guarantee safe, accessible and efficient parking for the daily use of bicycles in the city.

The original “smart city” idea, focused on automation, efficiency, and instrumentation, has changed with the growth of AI, machine learning, and pervasive connectivity. In this panel, we will explore what “smart” actually means today, and how we approach the realities of connected environments where systems operate across public and private boundaries, often without centralized control.

AI is reshaping all spheres of our live, including our cities, inside and out. The spotlight is on generative AI, which can generate original output – text, images, videos. What is its impact in the public sector? As the level closest to citizens, and as providers of many services, cities and regions can champion the responsible use of GenAI in Europe. In this session, Living-in.EU invites cities to share their experience in using GenAI.

From public guarantees to social enterprise vehicles, new models are mobilizing private capital for housing and urban infrastructure while advancing public goals. This session convenes investors, governments, and corporations to co-create finance structures that scale innovation and meet social needs. Panelists will explore catalytic capital, loan funds, and enterprises that align incentives, cut risk, preserve affordability, and embed equity.

The results from the first phase of the "Transport Cultural" project will be presented during the session. Transport Cultural aims to promote the autonomy of people in vulnerable situations or at risk of social exclusion, facilitating their access to culture through on-demand transport. The project has been led by In Move and RETURN, with the support of other shareholders, including Cinesi, App & Town, Bable, Apropa Cultura, and Tandem Social.

Invisible Pollution: Tackling Non-Exhaust Emissions in Urban Mobility sheds light on the often-overlooked problem of particles from brakes, tyres, and road wear. It explores potential policy measures and technological solutions to reduce these emissions and improve urban air quality.

This session explores how Living Labs enable cities to test and scale inclusive, citizen-centric, co-created digital solutions in real-life environments. Through a moderated panel discussion, participants gain insight into practical examples from city-led and city-based initiatives, highlighting the steps taken to ensure digital innovation supports, and doesn’t overlook, the needs of communities, including those considered vulnerable.

The session, led by FEVEMP, will feature key stakeholders directly involved in developing European micromobility regulations. It will explain how these rules influence Spain’s Manual de Características, promoting common safety and quality standards for urban vehicles. A space to understand and discuss the future regulatory framework of the sector.

This session explores how pioneering cities are turning ambition into action anchored by the Climate City Contract (CCC), the Mission’s flagship instrument for aligning governance, finance, delivery, and public legitimacy.

This interactive panel unites living-lab leaders from the United States, Finland, Sweden and Canada to reveal how cross-border partnerships turbo-charge smart-city innovation. Through rapid fire case studies and audience Q&A, speakers share proven tactics for launching, funding and scaling technology pilots, navigating regulation and turning data-driven trials into full-city deployments.

Eurocities and the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC) co-organise this session to showcase how Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) are transforming urban planning. The session will bring together city leaders and UDT practitioners to discuss practical examples from European cities, explore barriers such as data integration, skills, and governance, and discuss how UDTs can drive smarter, more inclusive, and accountable urban decision-making.

Much of the discussion around promoting active mobility has centred on cities and their infrastructure networks. While creating safe and connected routes for cycling is crucial, barriers such as theft, repair, and planning continue to limit uptake and demand innovative solutions from the private sector. This session will highlight the different factors and stakeholders that help to drive the shift toward active travel modes in urban areas.

Discover real opportunities to collaborate with cities shaping the future. Learn about urban challenges and how municipalities are seeking innovative partners through open innovation labs, pilot programs, and advanced public procurement. A unique chance for companies to co-create solutions and take part in building the smart cities of tomorrow.

Did you know that public procurement represents 14% of the EU’s GDP (around €2 trillion annually)? Discover how the ProcuraMED project is empowering local authorities to inspire sustainable change. This session will showcase digital tools, capacity-building actions, real-life cases and cooperation strategies driving innovative and green procurement.

How can cities better manage heatwaves, wildfires, floods, and rapid urban growth? This session showcases how Earth Observation brings actionable insights for crisis management, public health, climate adaptation and sustainable urban planning. Discover and hear from our users and data providers about ready-to-use market solutions where data from space helps cities protect citizens, plan smarter and boost resilience.

Curious about the results of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects? Come to the CIVITAS AGORA and discover five innovative urban mobility solutions created through these EU-funded initiatives that are ready to be deployed in your cities.

What are green urban economies and how can cities harvest the opportunities they offer? Why is involving stakeholders crucial in this process? During this session you will discover fivestories from URBACT's networks of cities (COPE, EcoCore, In4Green, Let’s Go Circular!, and GreenPlace) and learn about their entry points to a successful green urban economy. Come and get inspired to start your journey towards greening your city's economy!

Exploring innovative urban solutions that strengthen resilience and sustainability while addressing climate, demographic, geopolitical and economic pressures. Beyond technical approaches, this session highlights new governance, social, and financial models that reduce environmental impact, foster circularity, and create inclusive, livable, and future-ready cities.

After two intense rounds of pitching, it's time for the official deal announcements: - Up to €50,000 in Non-Dilutive Grant Awarded by Connexin, Schréder and Via Verde - Leading VCs will announce Investment Expression of Interest - Industry leaders will reveal partnership and commercial deal opportunities This is where deals happen and promising startups get the backing to scale.

How the collaboration between public transport institutions, outskirts municipalities and private companies can allow People with Reduced Mobility to easily park and continue the journey in public transportation to the capital city center.

A high-level roundtable bringing together industry leaders, technology providers and users to explore the current state and future of U-space. The session will combine strategic insights with real-world success stories, showcasing how drones and enabling technologies are transforming urban airspace management, advanced air mobility, and smart city services.

This session will introduce the Smart City Toolkit and discuss how AI and digital innovation are reshaping the way cities plan, operate, and engage with citizens. It will also showcase how an upcoming IFC publication on Digital Solutions – From Waste Management to a Circular Economy.

This session brings together four leading EU-funded initiatives – EU City Facility, InEExS, and GINNGER, streamSAVE+ and ATELIER – to showcase innovative and practical solutions that support the energy transition in cities and communities. The panel will highlight how these initiatives address common barriers to energy efficiency and sustainable energy services, offering replicable models that bridge the gap between strategy and practice.

This space will address the current state of progress of the data spaces that will help drive a data economy thanks to the advancement of digitization of local authorities

Urban logistics is at a tipping point, with last-mile deliveries driving up emissions. Micro-depots and connected fleets offer smarter, cleaner solutions—enabling multimodal delivery and data-driven operations. This session explores how real-time vehicle data, micro-hubs, and the emerging Physical Internet can improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and reshape last-mile logistics in cities worldwide.

In this session we will explore Poland’s booming urban tech sector - with over 230 Polish companies founded in recent years that are developing solutions for smarter, greener cities. We will share unique insights from a recently launched Polish Urban Tech Landscape report, followed by an engaging panel between the Polish national development fund PFR and their Urban Tech Hub, Urban Impact who wrote the study and its partners, BABLE and the bau ventures. We will dig into the sector’s rapid 20% annual growth, €200M in capital raised to date, and key opportunities in energy, mobility, and circular economy.

How can cities and regions of all sizes use data and collaboration for a greener, more inclusive future? This Agora session, hosted by OASC, brings insights from Riga, Aarhus and Fundão on how interoperability—technical, legal, semantic and organisational—drives digital transformation. Learn how EU frameworks, shared data, and citizen engagement shape impactful, scalable solutions.

The panel session will focus on identifying gaps in addressing global sustainability & resilience challenges particularly related to climate crisis and natural disasters faced by our cities. The panelists will also be asked to share their ideas and experiences regarding the use of innovative governance practices and technologies to address these challenges.

As cities seek greater resilience, livability, vibrancy and unique identity, outdated planning rules often hold them back. The session reveals a new approach: form-based codes, or visual design standards that focus on the look, feel, and quality of streets and neighborhoods, rather than just land use. Discover how city leaders, planners, developers, and citizens collaborate to create vibrant places and more predictable, attractive investments.

This roundtable brings together cities that are at different stages in building metropolitan cooperation—some with decades of experience, others taking their first steps. Their diversity offers a unique opportunity for mutual learning. How can we create flexible, inclusive, and effective governance frameworks that foster coordinated responses in fragmented urban territories?

As millions of devices are deployed across smart cities, the Internet of Things has reached a stage where scalability and interoperability have become key concerns for utilities and mobile data operators. Hear speakers from industry and government discuss the challenges of modernizing municipal infrastructure and the role that open standards play in ensuring interoperability and vendor choice in their modernization decisions.

This session, led by AECOC, will feature public leaders in a roundtable discussion focused on the strategies that municipalities are implementing to improve efficiency in Urban Freight Distribution (UFD). The discussion will address key areas such as regulation, digitalization, and Low Emission Zones, among others. Confirmed participants: Mr. Daniel de Santos, Mobility Manager, AECOC Mrs. Lidia Torres, Director of Mobility Services, Barcelona City Council Mr. Manuel Valdés López, Managing Director, Autoritat del Transport Metropolità (ATM) Mrs. Susana Gómez Garrido, Deputy Director General of Transport and Mobility, Comunidad de Madrid

How to make Europe’s digital transformation inclusive, ethical, human-centred and citizen-driven? And how to ensure that emerging technologies – such as AI, XR and cloud services – serve public values and social needs? This session will show how 4 EU co-funded projects are shaping the future of cities with the CitiVerse - a digital version of the city – where citizens can explore, interact with, and shape urban life in an intuitive way.

InnoMatch and SPIN4EIC, part of the European Innovation Council’s (EIC) Innovation Procurement Programme, foster innovation by connecting EIC Awardees with public and private buyers to co-develop sustainable solutions. This session showcases how InnoMatch funds pilot deployments and how SPIN4EIC supports innovators and buyers in procurement tenders. Join us to explore collaboration opportunities and unlock the potential of innovation procurement.

European cities strive to become more inclusive and equitable on one hand and smart and data-driven on the other. However, gaps in data collection and analysis can overlook the diverse needs of citizens groups. This session explores how using gender-disaggregated data can help design more inclusive urban spaces and mobility infrastructure.

Discover Metabuilding, the pan-European initiative accelerating innovation in the construction sector. This session unveils a powerful ecosystem designed to connect SMEs, researchers, and industry leaders. We will explore our Metabuilding Labs Open Innovation Test Bed (OITB), the metabuilding.com digital platform, and the new business opportunities it creates, inviting you to join us in shaping the future of building.

Space isn’t just about the Moon or Mars — it’s part of our daily lives. From navigation to payments, we all use space infrastructure. This session explores how satellite data help build smart, resilient cities: from predicting heavy rain to managing urban infrastructure or air quality. A panel of international experts shares real-world examples, innovations, and how collaboration drives rapid progress. Get ready to be inspired!

Rapid urban growth in LMICs is outpacing the capacity of cities to deliver essential services. Digital technologies offer a critical pathway to make urban systems more accessible, affordable, inclusive, and resilient. This session explores the enabling technologies underpinning smart city development in LMICs, highlighting the evolving role of mobile operators in driving scale, innovation, and impact across core services.

Cities face fast-moving crises like wildfires and floods, yet citizens often remain confused in the critical “moment zero” before response begins. This session gathers tech creators, first responders, and officials to explore how AI, digital twins, and predictive tools from projects like EXTRACT and CREXDATA are transforming emergency response in cities like Venice, Dortmund, and Barcelona.

ACM will explain how public procurement can be a key tool to drive the local energy transition. Through its Central Purchasing Body, it enables local governments to access sustainable services such as 100% renewable electricity, solar panels, LED street lighting, and clean mobility. ACM acts as a facilitator to help municipalities move towards a greener, more efficient, and fairer energy model.

Traditional metrics no longer capture the complexity of today's urban mobility ecosystems. This session challenges current success indicators and explores how both public authorities and private actors can adopt broader metrics. From intelligent traffic signals to employer-led mobility programmes, we’ll discuss how to redefine value and how new measurements can unlock better solutions for sustainable, inclusive cities.

The round table is comprised of speakers from the ITS industry, infrastructure, academia and a road user association, and will look from different angles on how perceived utility to road users and societal benefits can be aligned to accelerate adoption of C-ITS and unleash the full potential of its benefits. The discussion will be enriched with practical use cases from the SCALE project.

The international standard ISO18091 on reliable governments is valid for 169 countries and has been adopted as a national standard by 57. Its approach is indispensable for the comprehensive implementation of the 17 SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.  At ISO TC 176, a working space will be open to rethink it and contribute for a new agenda in which municipalities committed to tetrahelice lab will share their experiences on circular economy and reliability

Fast-paced and inspiring, this session brings together universities and research centers to the stage. Each organization gives a 10 minute presentation about their cutting-edge projects, revealing emerging discoveries, and exploring how their work is shaping the future of smart cities.

Discover how large-scale testbeds are turning disruptive tech into real mobility solutions. From 5G/6G to AI, they are shaping Europe’s digital mobility future and opening new paths for innovation, investment and collaboration

How can cities ensure mobility innovation is trusted, inclusive, and ready for scale? Four CIVITAS projects - MOBILITIES FOR EU, SUM, GEMINI, and metaCCAZE - share concrete methods and experiences: from designing urban mobility labs and governance models, to co-creation activities with citizens at local and regional levels across Europe.

The talk presents new tools from Digital City Science @ HafenCity University in support of resilience-oriented urban planning. Federating established approaches in resilience research, plus adding new dimensions like “cities under military conflict”, the presented instruments enable the assessment of urban vulnerability, robustness, and preparedness for disaster.

Rethinking how our neighborhoods are designed is crucial to creating diverse, sustainable spaces that meet local needs and empower residents.

The “Sustainable Public Spaces through Inclusive Community Engagement (SPICE)” project aims to develop a participatory co-creation model for shaping neighborhoods that align with the European Green Deal and the principles of the New European Bauhaus.

Achieving climate goals in cities requires faster, systemic action beyond project-led approaches. The 5-UP Framework addresses implementation gaps through: UPDATING needs, UPSKILLING actors, UPGRADING pilots, embedding UPSCALING, and UPTAKING mechanisms. This session will share experiences from two cities applying the 5-UPs and reflect on upscaling’s role in shifting from pilots to systemic climate action.

The RAISE event, a project funded by the Italian Ministry for University and Research in the Next Generation EU framework, will highlight the results achieved in promoting AI and robotics as key enabling technologies and drivers of innovations for the design of future Intelligent and inclusive Smart Cities and Smart and Sustainable Ports.

Explore how flexible, on-demand mobility and active travel can solve mobility gaps in rural and peri-urban areas. This session will discuss low-cost, tech-enabled solutions, user-friendly integration, and intermodal strategies to connect low-density territories with urban centers. A dynamic exchange on how to make rural mobility inclusive, affordable, and sustainable.

Smart mobility is vital for sustainable cities, yet financing remains challenging. This panel explores closing the funding gap and scaling solutions with experts from city leadership, innovation, and corporate ventures. Featuring Agnese Buša, Head of Smart City Development, City of Riga; Daniel Serra, Impact Ventures Director, EIT Urban Mobility; and João Félix, Head of Corporate Venture, Grupo Brisa. Moderated by Emma Lozano Doogan from Kurrant.

The Smart Cities Global Startup Challenge is an international pitch competition held by the North Texas Innovation Alliance (NTXIA) and partners to bring international innovation to the US. Back for a 2nd year, startups present to a panel of judges including Frisco and McKinney, TX, Peachtree Corners, GA, Amsys, Plug and Play, Toyota Mobility Foundation for pilots, prizes and investment in Texas and Georgia.

As rising temperatures driven by the climate emergency threaten urban life, this session reveals how cities are turning down the heat. From Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Berlin, London, to Singapore, and drawing lessons from the EU’s 100 NetZeroCities initiative, it showcases bold nature-based solutions, green infrastructure, and smart design that cool streets, parks, and plazas while boosting well-being and resilience.

A data-driven look at how leading cities and countries are fostering startups in energy and environmental innovation. The session begins with key findings from the report, showcasing top ecosystems and industry growth trends, followed by a panel discussion on how governments can better support the growth of startups in strategic industries.

The fields of geospatial technologies, AI, and metaverse technologies are converging to create new services for consumers. Every day, we see announcements of new devices and smart glasses that offer increasingly capable features and promise a groundbreaking future. During the dynamic session, we will explore how Spatial AI, extended reality (XR), and future avatars will shape our cities and societies.

The session will explain the main outcomes of this cross-sectoral initiative integrating sustainability into Madrid’s urban strategy through systemic collaboration. This ecosystem -comprising public administrations, firms, academia, experts and NGOs- co-develops actionable solutions in four strategic areas: habitability and housing, mobility and infrastructure, public space, and urban regeneration.

This session gathers five EU projects showcasing how cities across Europe use digitalization to create Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). Through digital twins, AI simulations, and interoperable platforms, our projects’ Lighthouse Cities optimize energy efficiency, smart buildings, and sustainable mobility to meet climate goals. Experts share tools, strategies, and lessons to inspire replication for climate-neutral urban futures.

This session gathers European public transport authorities, operators, and researchers to share insights from the E-MED project. It highlights local mobility challenges and presents innovative solutions such as AI-based planning, eco-driving, and new procurement strategies. The discussion will also address the shift to electric mobility, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of public transport and strengthen urban mobility resilience.

AI has transformative potential for cities, but scaling from pilots to impactful, city-wide deployments remains a challenge. This TEF Citcom.ai workshop brings together cities and tech providers to explore collaboration strategies. Through case studies and insights from the European TEF for Smart Cities, participants will learn to overcome adoption barriers and scale AI for societal impact.