Governance & Economy:

Driving Inclusive Cities at Smart City Expo World Congress 2026

Making Urban Government Open, Participatory and Accountable

Cities are rethinking how they operate, collaborate and grow. Digital public institutions, stronger cross‑sector alliances, innovative financing models and dynamic local economies are redefining what urban progress looks like — and how it can be sustained.

Explore digital public services, open data and ethical tech for better decision-making

Gain fresh insights into GovTech, collaborative innovation, and strategic economic drivers

Access premier networking to establish valuable connections and partnerships

2026 Industry Partners Leading the Way in the Sector

Highlights from Governance & Economy Discussions

Data Strategies, Open Government & Data Integration

City-to-city Cooperation & Public-private Partnerships

Sovereign AI, Data Ethics & Citizen Engagement

Investing Models, Financing Schemes, Global Funds & FinTech

Local Economic Development, Talent Attraction & Innovation Hubs

The urban ecosystem in motion

1000 +

ATTENDEES

500 +

EXHIBITORS

50 +

SPEAKERS

50 +

CITIES

20 +

COUNTRIES

Join the Governance & Economy Program at the Smart City Expo 2026

KEY ISSUES AT THE CENTER OF THE DEBATE

GovTech

Government in the digital age

GovTech
Governments are using data, AI and automation to modernize institutions, deliver better public services and transform the way they operate – from the inside out.

With a focus on: Data Strategies, Open Government, AI, Automation, Government Workflow, Data Integration.

Collaborative Innovation

Stronger together

Collaborative Innovation
No city solves alone. Cross-sector alliances, city-to-city cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships are emerging as the most effective response to shared urban challenges.

With a focus on: City-to-City Cooperation, Multi-Stakeholder, Public-Private Partnerships, Innovation Ecosystems, Citizen Engagement, Alliances.

Finance and Investment

Funding the urban future

Finance and Investment
How can we finance projects to reach sustainable goals?

How important is it to work on cross-sector collaboration to go forward on financing?

Key topics: Climate Finance, Financing Tools, Fintech, Global Funds, Investment Models

Urban Economic Drivers

What makes cities grow

Urban Economic Drivers
Tourism, commerce, talent, startups, knowledge industries: the forces shaping urban competitiveness. How are cities attracting what they need to thrive in a changing global economy?

With a focus on: Local Economic Development, Creative Cities, Talent Attraction, Startups, Innovation Hubs.

All You Need to Know About the Governance & Economy Program

2026 CONGRESS

SPEAKERS ON STAGE

Meet some of the experts who will share their insights at SCEWC26:

H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Askar
—

General Director, TAMM

Karl-Filip Coenegrachts
—

Chair and Executive Director, Open and Agile Smart Cities

Carolina Londoño
—

Executive Director, Ruta N

Barbara Santi
—

Senior Policy, Digital Inclusion and Innovation, Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy

Anna Aleksandrzak
—

Managing Director, Poznań Metropolitan Area, Poland

Hernán Matías Perin
—

Govtech Director, City of Córdoba, Argentina

Denisa Pevna
—

International Cooperation Lead, City of Prague, Czech Republic

2026 EXPO

Some of the city, regions and country pavilions that are exhibiting in the 2026 Exhibition Area include:

Austria
Barcelona, Spain
Berlín, Germany
Brno, Czech Republic
Business France
Cabinet Office – Government of Japan
China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)
Curitiba, Brazil
Cyprus
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dublin, Ireland
Government of Catalonia
Greece
Helsinki, Finland
Hungary
Italian Trade Promotion Agency (ITA)
Krakow, Poland
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madrid, Spain
Malta
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan
Montreal, Canada
Netherlands
Oslo, Norway
Porto, Portugal
Riga, Latvia
Riyadh Infrastructure Projects Center (RIPC)
Roma, Italy
Romania
Royal Comission for Riyadh City (RCRC)
Santiago del Estero, Argentina
Seongnam, South Korea
Seoul, South Korea
Slovakia
Sweden
Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia
TAMM Abu Dhabi – Department of Government Enablement (DGE), United Arab Emirates
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Japan
United Nations
United States of America
Uruguay

2026 PARTICIPANTS

ATTENDEE PROFILES

Discover some of the Governance sector roles who will be attending our 2026 edition:

Chief Operating Officer
City Manager
Councillor
Diplomat
Head of Institutional Relations
Mayor
Minister
President
Secretary General
Vice Mayor
Chief Financial Officer
Director of International Affairs Office
Head of Department of Economy and Urban Development
Head of International Cooperation

PUBLIC SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES

A selection of public sector representatives who will take part in SCEWC26.

Head of Sustainable Economic Development

Metropolis of Grand Paris

France

Head of the Project Cost Estimation and Documentation Monitoring Division of the Infrastructure Development and Transport Service

Rustavi Municipality

Georgia

Director of the Local Development Unit

Zarqa Municipality

Jordan

Head of the City Development Committee

Riga Municipality

Latvia

FM Internal Control, Assurance and Contracts

The City of Cape Town

South Africa

Director of Economic Development

Barcelona City Council

Spain

Coordinator of Employment, Economic Development, and European Funds

Huelva City Council

Spain

Chief Executive Director

Alatau City

Kazakhstan

Director of Strategic Planning and Results-Based Management

San Pedro Sula Municipality

Honduras

Minister of the Economy, SME, Energy and Tourism

The Luxembourg Government

Luxembourg

Deputy Mayor of the Economic Development, Competence and Real Estate Services

City of Tampere

Finland

Mayor

Dubai Municipality

United Arab Emirates

STAGE SESSIONS & SIDE EVENTS

A selection from the extensive program of Stage Sessions & Side Events related to this track that will take place at SCEWC26.

Data Space for Intelligent Urban Infrastructures (EDINT)

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.

Solutions Lab: Cross-sector partnerships for collaborative urban development

The meetings aims to bring together civil society organizations, grassroots organizations, the public sector and private sector, to share practical experiences on cross-sector partnerships and identify what makes them work in addressing complex urban challenges, strengthening collaboration, innovation and sustainable urban development.

Scaling Democratic Engagement: Keeping Every Citizen in the Loop

Citizens’ assemblies and deliberative processes can strengthen democratic efficacy by ensuring that citizens’ voices, concerns, and perspectives are meaningfully considered. A key challenge remains: how can citizen participation move beyond small, one-off exercises to become a continuous and scalable component of modern governance?

Sustainable Cities People Love: Making the Future City Together

Cities, citizens and investors all want a thriving, sustainable future. What is missing are the conditions that make acting on that care possible. Drawing on the Lisbon Council’s Sustainable Cities Lab, this session explores how cooperation, investment, citizen engagement and cross-sector alliances can help build sustainable cities people trust, use and love.