SIDE EVENTS

This event showcases the MAIA project’s results on potential demand for air mobility services and shared autonomous shuttles to access airports, and algorithms to best locate vertiports and dispatch autonomous vehicle fleets to answer that demand. It engages the audience to exploit these results in support of European, national, and local policy goals. Register HERE

the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme promotes decentralized international urban and regional cooperation focused on sustainable development and innovation. During SCEWC 2025, its Global Thematic Networking Workshop will bring together 248 delegates from 124 cities and regions to co-create pilot projects around three pillars: Smart & Connected, Green & Clean, and Just & Inclusive.

As urban systems face growing pressures, shocks, and stresses, urban resilience must evolve into an integrated cycle of action. This session showcases cities' experiences and concepts of the resilience cycle and the pillars of UN-Habitat resolution 9/2: early warning, foresight, risk reduction, crisis response, and post-crisis recovery and reconstruction. Organized by the UN-Habitat City Resilience Global Program and Barcelona City Council.

This roundtable discussion will explore strategies for boosting cybersecurity within urban environments. We will focus on identifying key takeaways for Central and Eastern European (CEE) cities, drawing upon the experiences and lessons learned from their Western and Northern European counterparts.

Discover the future of ultra-fast, sustainable transport at the Hyperloop Conference — the global meeting point for pioneers redefining mobility. Connect with leading experts, startups, investors, and policy makers from the EU and beyond who are shaping the framework for next-generation transport. Experience inspiring talks, hands-on workshops, and networking that will accelerate your vision of tomorrow’s connected, zero-emission world.

This session examines AI’s dual role in sustainable urban development: its promise for climate action and its hidden environmental and social costs. Participants will explore the sustainability paradox of urban AI and leave with practical strategies for implementation that are intelligent, equitable, and ecologically responsible.

More information HERE. 

A meeting between international elected representatives, exchanging about AI projects for public policies, and how AI can contribute to the mission of public entities

The workshop aims at presenting key case studies on the integration of GEOAI into traditional urban planning processes which can help urban practitioners globally to identify pathway and optimization into their urban planning processes. Stakeholders representing urban practitioners, cities, city networks, private sector and national governments are invited to contribute to the methodology and the step-by-step guidance contained in the Toolkit

Register for our interactive workshop on fragmentation in the mobility sector jointly organised by EIT Urban Mobility and the ITF. Fragmentation is a major source of inefficiencies leading to poorly coordinated services, longer transit times and the inefficient use of public funds. More information and registration under this link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/efWhweEBPs

Productive, Smart and Connected is a closed IURC thematic session with mandatory attendance for assigned participants. Cities and regions will join one of 11 clusters (90 mins in 3 rooms) based on thematic networks: PORTICO (cities) and S3 Platforms (regions). Topics include Mobility & Transport, Strategic Sectors, Urban Innovation, and Agri-food.

Green and Clean is a closed IURC thematic session with mandatory attendance for assigned participants. Cities and regions will join one of 11 clusters (90 mins in 3 rooms) based on thematic networks: PORTICO (cities) and S3 Platforms (regions). Topics include Clean Energy, Blue Economy, Circular Economy, and Climate Adaptation.

Just and Inclusive is a closed IURC thematic session with mandatory attendance for assigned participants. Cities and regions will join one of 11 clusters (90 mins in 3 rooms) based on thematic networks: PORTICO (cities) and S3 Platforms (regions). Topics include Urban Regeneration, Affordable Housing, Industrial Modernisation, and Civic Participation.

This session showcases how pioneering cities and organisations are leveraging space data, geo and geo-AI tools for environmental and climate action, for enhanced urban sustainability. City leaders, industry experts, and geo-AI practitioners will present real-world case studies, discuss how to transform data into actionable strategies, and chart the future of a low-carbon and climate-resilient urban growth. The session will delve into data-driven technologies, scenario modeling, and highlight the vital role of both technology and communities in sustainable city planning.

This session emphasises the crucial role of road safety engineering in tackling the global crash crisis, in line with the 2030 Agenda and the UN’s Second Decade of Action. It explores safe infrastructure, road audits, inspections and the Safe System approach, while advocating stronger institutions, professionalisation of auditors, and international standards, especially in LMIC's. Note that this session will be delivered in English.

A space for exchange between Ibero-American local government officials who will share practical cases and experiences on how they are governing the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and digital infrastructure, from a public, ethical, and strategic perspective.
The activity is part of the CIDEU Smart City and Digital Transition Micronetwork, comprised of cities from various Ibero-American countries.

This event showcases the MUSE project’s results on assessing the impacts of Urban Air Mobility deployment on citizens’ quality of life and developing tools for cities and regions to better decide on priorities and service design. It engages the audience to exploit these results in support of European, national, and local policy goals. Register HERE

Meeting for FIA member Clubs to learn and share experience on urban mobility best practices

This session emphasises the crucial role of road safety engineering in tackling the global crash crisis, in line with the 2030 Agenda and the UN’s Second Decade of Action. It explores safe infrastructure, road audits, inspections and the Safe System approach, while advocating stronger institutions, professionalisation of auditors, and international standards, especially in LMIC's. Note that this session will be delivered in Spanish.

The MaaS Alliance Partnership Forum & MaaS STAR Awards is a high-level event to mark the 10 years anniversary of the Association and to introduce the new and re-activated decade of the Alliance to stimulate interaction and dialogue with all stakeholders in the field of Mobility to advance with seamless multimodal mobility offers with user needs at its heart.

This event offers the opportunity to connect with the Latin America Smart Cities community, including industry experts, companies and local leaders, to exchange insights on how innovative technology and green infrastructure can accelerate economic and social development. 

This closed-door session brings together public authorities within the EIT Urban Mobility network for an engaging exchange on innovation in urban mobility. Through focused thematic discussions and interactive networking, participants will explore solutions to critical challenges shaping urban mobility and identify areas where collaborative efforts can drive impactful, city-led innovation.

The Malaysia Networking & Closed-Door Roundtable Session will be held on the first day of MDEC’s participation at SCEWC Barcelona (4–6 Nov). Designed for 30-40 participants in a U-shape setup, the 2-hour session features 1 hour of focused roundtable discussion and 1 hour of networking. It brings together 7 Malaysian representatives and 25-30 EU invitees, with invitation support from Fira Barcelona.

A full-day workshop exploring the role of GTFS and NeTEX data specifications in the European context. Co-hosted by MobilityData and NAPCORE, the event will feature expert presentations, real-world use cases, and collaborative sessions to strengthen interoperability, support compliance, improve quality of service, and foster a shared vision for sustainable mobility data across Europe.

The United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) is the United Nations' premier platform for shaping the cities of the future—people-centered, digitally inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable. With support from 20 UN entities, U4SSC empowers local leaders to share, learn, and lead transformative change. This special session will present the latest U4SSC deliverables and explore emerging trends shaping the cities of the future.

Eurocities and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) co-organise this session to explore how Urban Digital Twins are moving from pilots to strategic tools for smarter cities. The event will gather city leaders, researchers, and practitioners from smart city ecosystems to discuss lessons learned, governance challenges, and how to ensure that data-informed urban governance remains human-centred, ethical, and accountable.

The celebration of the 5th Spain-India Forum, a high-level institutional and diplomatic dialogue bringing together governmental, business, academic, and technological representatives from the sectors of both countries, is being organised by the Spain-India Council Foundation in collaboration with Barcelona City Council and Fira de Barcelona, on the occasion of the Smart City World Congress.

A meeting between international elected representatives, exchanging about Cybersecurity projects for public policies, and how it can contribute to the mission of public entities

This session explores the integration of Shared Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs) into existing public mobility systems, aiming to advance seamless, sustainable, and inclusive urban transport. As cities grapple with congestion, emissions, and accessibility challenges, SAVs offer a transformative opportunity to complement traditional public transit and optimize urban mobility networks.

Innovative approach to urban mobility planning, considering the different modes and purposes of trip.

This roundtable will focus on fostering dialogue between the representatives of Central and Eastern European (CEE) cities. By encouraging mutual learning and strengthening regional networks, the roundtable seeks to enhance the strategic capacity of CEE cities and amplify their voices in broader European and international stages.

This new Edition of the Mobility Institute Talks series will focus on the results of the “Líderes de la Movilidad 2025” survey, in which leading representatives of Spain’s mobility ecosystem share their views on the current state of everyday mobility, the factors influencing travel choices, and the emerging trends that will shape the sector in the coming years.

Discover how Artificial Intelligence is transforming cities. Based on a Deloitte study of 250 global cities, this session examines real-world applications - from traffic optimisation and public safety to resource management and citizen engagement. We'll explore opportunities, challenges, and trends including Generative AI, showcase best practices, and address ethics, governance, and public trust for sustainable, resilient urban futures.

Register here to join the session – RSVP: Zone: CC4 – Room 4.4

Together, Deloitte and Yes/Cities are creating sustainable positive change by empowering local innovation ecosystems to help cities thrive as a place where people want to live and work.

Register here to join the session – RSVP:  Zone: CC1 – Room 1.4

The Closing Plenary (Mandatory Participation) will showcase the key outcomes of the Thematic Breakout Sessions, highlighting key insights and results from the 11 thematic clusters. It will bring together all participants to reflect on shared learnings and reinforce future cooperation across regions and cities.

The workshop is designed to support cities in integrating new cooperative, co-created shared mobility models into their SUMP planning process based on the learnings from the HORIZON SUM project. Participants will receive training on SUMP development, listen to SUMP best practices from POLIS members, and learn how to implement the different cooperative, co-created shared mobility business models researched by the project.

The mission of the Smart Distribution Committee is to identify trends, improvements, and best practices that ensure more efficient and sustainable freight mobility and distribution, minimizing the impact of business activities on society and the environment and responding to consumer needs. The Committee, in its proactive role, works to propose high-impact changes to public administrations for the transformation of urban freight distribution in the short, medium, and long term in cities and urban environments, promoting a new scenario of more efficient, sustainable, and intelligent mobility and distribution.

Final session of the year for the Innpulso Network’s Working Groups, gathering cities to reflect on progress made, lessons learned and future challenges. The event will feature key voices from the network and cities sharing outcomes from their 2025 collaborative work on innovation, experimentation and public knowledge transfer.

The Cities Coalition for Digital Rights yearly meet up will gather its members to update on the latest activities of the Coalition and leave a space for open discussion to foster cities’ engagement in the Coalition.

Logistics operations are rarely planned with a smart perspective. This event explores how digitalisation and new technologies are transforming freight, an often-overlooked yet essential sector. Through real cases and dialogue, we’ll show how “smart” starts in everyday logistics — driving efficiency, resilience, and impact, turning freight into something almost futuristic.

This event will gather city authorities, business associations, SMEs, academia and other experts to explore policies and innovations that help SMEs prepare for and adapt to disaster risks. Discussions will focus on SMEs’ roles as service providers and users, access to finance and insurance, risk-informed business models, and the use of technology and PPPs to strengthen resilience. More information: https://www.ariseglobalnetwork.org/quick/97431 

From wildfires to heatwaves, cities are on the frontline of climate change. This session showcases how space data supports SDG implementation through tracking emissions, mapping wildfire risks, and monitor heat-health impacts. Explore solutions from the SDGsEYES project that by bringing together users, policymakers and data providers, it shares best practices and defines actionable steps for cities to move from mitigation to proactive resilience.

EDINT will have 12 local entities and 36 companies in its initial stage. This event is aimed at users involved in eDINT in order to discuss the current status and next steps.

The workshop aims at demonstrating the applicability of 100KTREEs services. 100KTREEs project has developed advanced mapping and modelling tools capable of assessing the impact of nature-based solutions such as urban greening through tree planting. The tools estimate the impacts of trees in terms of key ecosystem services they provide, such as air quality, water retention, cooling, CO₂ sequestration, and generate an indicator for biodiversity.

AccesS seeks to create barrier-free environments and optimise energy use in smart buildings and cities, setting new standards for accessibility and sustainability. REN+HOMES aims to develop a universal method for positive energy homes and districts, based on 23 solutions. The workshop shows how adopting digital tools can advance energy conservation and support cities in transitioning to climate neutrality, accessibility, and inclusion.

The BCC enters a bold new phase toward 2026. Held alongside the Smart City Expo World Congress — the world’s leading event for cities and innovation — it unites global public administrations and industry leaders, strengthening its role as a key cybersecurity hub. Covering AI, resilience, regulation, urban security, and cooperation, it drives the partnerships shaping cybersecurity’s future.

This is a pitching session where the 10 mobility scale-ups coming from SUP25 programme will show their enabling technologies/mobility solutions to an audience of investors, corporates, and urban/mobility stakeholders. The session will end with networking designed to spark investment and partnership opportunities for sustainable urban mobility innovation.

Discover how cutting-edge Earth observation and data-driven tools from European projects are transforming coastal resilience and the blue economy. This session will showcase real-world applications in monitoring coastal change, modelling flood and erosion risks, and protecting marine ecosystems—sharing concrete results and lessons to inspire sustainable solutions, with local and regional authorities and ports sharing their stories.

The event explores how circular economy (CE) principles and innovative governance across the public and private sectors can transform waste management practices in Mediterranean cities. Featuring two panels, it highlights practical tools, entrepreneurial ecosystems and transformative labs from key Interreg Euro-MED projects, showing how collaboration and inclusive policymaking can catalyse systemic change, from textiles to wider CE opportunities.