Track: Governance & Economy

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.

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 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.

How can AI enhance decision-making in smart cities while ensuring ethical and unbiased outcomes? What role do AI technologies play in optimizing public services in the cities of the future?

In an increasingly urbanized world, metropolitan areas concentrate the major challenges—and opportunities—of our time. From climate resilience to mobility, housing, and inequality, these challenges rarely respect administrative boundaries. Yet, around the globe, cities of all sizes and levels of development are collaborating and experimenting with new models of metropolitan governance.

How are the cities raising their voice on the Global atmosphere? In an unstable world, can cities take part in the fight to preserve democratic values?

How are governments up to date with technological innovations to improve public services and government efficiency? Are governments into the digital transformation to make their services more accessible, and user-friendly?

EIT Urban Mobility and the International Transport Forum will organise a foresight workshop to anticipate future trends of relevance in the mobility sector, based on input from the public and private sectors

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.

How can cities harness AI to drive smarter, fairer decisions? As AI reshapes urban life, its potential to optimize public services and governance grows—so does the need for ethical, transparent systems. Explore how responsible, sustainable AI can guide smart cities toward more efficient, inclusive, and future-ready urban environments.

Cities play a vital role on the global stage, not only as home to the majority of society’s stakeholders but also as hubs for inclusive dialogue and grassroots engagement and empowerment. This roundtable will examine how cities are amplifying their voices to defend democratic values while fostering collaboration and coordinated efforts across all levels of governance and sectors.

This session will explore the strategies and approaches that GovTech can offer to help public administrations become more efficient, transparent, and citizen-centered. The discussion will examine how digitalization is reshaping governance, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, and enhancing public services.

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.

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.

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.

Explore how local governments are scaling partnerships across Europe through a unique digital tool. This session will offer valuable insights, practical examples, and networking opportunities for municipalities and stakeholders looking to enhance cooperation, access funding, and build impactful, cross-border projects.

As the climate crisis intensifies, urban leaders are under increasing pressure to play a pivotal role in mitigating the repercussions of climate change by implementing innovative practices, advancing sustainable energy strategies, and adopting climate-smart practices. How are cities leading solutions that confront the escalating consequences of the climate emergency, balancing environmental responsibility, city living, and economic vitality?

Artificial Intelligence is no longer a distant concept—it is central to how governments rethink, rebuild, and deliver essential services. This session will highlight how AI is transforming public infrastructure across major American cities, showcasing real-world applications that improve efficiency, responsiveness, and equity.

This session will discuss the effect of online tools (mis)use on citizen trust and participation in democracy, as well as strategies to counter misinformation and to promote digital media literacy. On the background of the EU Democracy Shield initiative, cities will exchange their experiences and discuss approaches to better respond to threats, and to continue enabling citizen participation in offline and online spaces.

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.

How do we advance urban regeneration to create green and thriving neighbourhoods? This session will explore practical strategies for uniting finance, public action, and community voices to shape vibrant, sustainable places for all. Hear insights from industry leaders on innovative financing and partnership models, and learn from city officials about successful land revitalisation projects and how they engaged students in the design process.

This co-organized session between CAF–Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and Smart City Expo World Congress will bring together regional leaders to share lessons, challenges, and solutions in urban digital transformation. It will highlight best practices in strategic planning, digital government, enabling technologies, mobility,and more, showcasing how the region drives innovative, scalable, and sustainable smart city practices.

Technological advances are reshaping daily life, while cities remain key arenas for democratic action and civic rights. In this context, technology is a powerful driver of progress and transformation, enhancing urban living. Yet this development also brings challenges such as the digital divide, misinformation, and declining trust. This session explores how cities can form alliances to defend civic rights and ensure technology serves the public good.

As cities grow and digitalize, they face new and complex cybersecurity challenges that require an evolution in how we approach cyber resilience and a proactive and tailored “Cybersecurity for Cities” approach. This session will explore what "Cybersecurity for Cities" truly encompasses, questioning whether it is relevant for all or if specific approaches are needed for different types of urban environments.

This joint session by RECI and Red Innpulso will showcase urban innovation and digitalization experiences with real impact on cities. It will feature a dialogue on public-private collaboration and future challenges, with participation from institutional representatives and municipal experts leading transformative projects in smart governance, mobility, green transition, and digital public services, highlighting both impacts and lessons learned.

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.

Private Smart Cities - privately owned, tech-driven urban developments - offer unique potential to accelerate innovation and create inclusive digital infrastructure while bypassing bureaucratic constraints. This panel explores the legal, technical, and civic dynamics at play in shaping these new models for urban development. Co-developed by the Intelligent Community Forum and Dentons LLP.

This dynamic panel explores how governance and financial levers can accelerate the shift to a circular built environment. Drawing on insights from across the construction value chain, it will highlight strategies like waste prevention and secondary material markets, and examine how EU policies such as Construction Products Regulation and Green Public Procurement along with skills and capacity-building, can drive systemic change.

Five years remain to achieve the Paris Agreement goals—what progress has been made, and what still needs to be done? Following the global stocktake at COP29, how are cities planning mid- and long-term strategies to advance climate action?

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.

With just five years left to meet the Paris Agreement goals, the climate crisis continues to intensify. TheCOP29’s global stocktake reveals uneven progress. Cities play a pivotal role in advancing climate action by bridging global governance, climate finance and mitigation priorities. This session will discuss the progress made thus far and explore the remaining steps needed for urban strategies to transform climate commitments into concrete results.

This session will showcase the Arab European Cities Dialogue (AECD) as a platform for fostering collaboration and partnerships between cities in the Arab and European regions. Building on its debut in Riyadh, the session seeks to maintain momentum and set the stage for the next edition in Madrid in 2027. It will highlight the importance of urban diplomacy and the role of dialogue on urban innovation in addressing shared challenges.

As global tensions and inequalities deepen, the role of cities as spaces for opportunity becomes essential. By embracing forward-thinking policies and a strong focus on wellbeing, governments are advancing towards fostering cities where individuals and communities can truly thrive. Smart cities, guided by inclusive governance and the responsible use of emerging technologies, can guarantee access to essential resources and become powerful engines for prosperity and fulfilling urban life.

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.

This conversation explores how AI, data integration, and emerging technologies are transforming city management—from predictive safety and digital housing aid to smart mobility and infrastructure. U.S. mayors will share lessons and priorities for scalable, inclusive solutions that strengthen efficiency, equity, and resilience.

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 five stories from URBACT's networks of cities (EcoCore, In4Green, Let’s Go Circular!, COPE, 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!

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.

How can urban leaders unlock new investment streams and foster economic models that support long-term change? Cities must look beyond traditional budgets to finance sustainable goals, drive local development, and support inclusive community projects. This session will examine how cross-sector collaboration and innovative financing approaches can enable cities to transform their ambitions into practical and equitable outcomes.

How can we finance projects to reach sustainable goals? How important is it to work on cross-sector collaboration to move forward on financing?

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.

India is not only a key player in the new global order but also an emerging leader in sustainable, digital, and scalable urban solutions. This session will explore how urban transformation has become a tool of soft power and strategic projection, positioning India as a strong partner for European countries in areas such as AI, water management, sustainable mobility, and digital governance. A high-level panel will discuss how Spain and India can strengthen their ties through cities as platforms for diplomacy, technology, and development.

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

This roundtable brings together cities from five continents 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?

This event will bring together city authorities, business associations, SMEs, academia and other experts to explore policies and innovative solutions that help SMEs better prepare for and adapt to disaster risks. Interactive discussions will focus on SMEs' role as users and producers of essential services, access to finance and insurance, risk-informed business models, and leveraging technologies and PPPs for improving their disaster resilience.

How can cities use data analytics to anticipate future dynamics and ensure long-term resilience? What role does data play in enabling accurate predictions and effective city planning?

How do urban policies and practices contribute to caring for citizens and promoting a healthier, more equitable quality of life? In what ways can cities promote well-being as a foundation for thriving communities?

How do the cities envision their economic future? How are governments forecasting their sustainable growth? How are they working on looking for new economic drivers?

Can cities turn data into foresight? With advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and strong data governance, urban leaders can anticipate change, optimize planning, and boost resilience. Leveraging the full power of data is key to advancing towards smarter, more sustainable, and future-ready cities.

How do urban policies and practices support the well-being of citizens and promote a healthier quality of life? In what ways can cities position social services as the foundation of thriving, resilient communities? This session will explore how cities are placing people at the center of urban agendas to ensure holistic wellness and care for all.

How can urban leaders unlock new potential to drive growth in a time when traditional economic engines are faltering? How are cities boosting entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems to create their own smart solutions? This session will showcase how cities can turn their visions for a sustainable future into tangible impact, through forecasting sustainable development, adopting innovative economic models, and identifying new drivers to advance a just and green transition.

Can GovTech transform urban environments? Emerging technologies in digital governance are redefining public services, civic engagement, and driving inclusive economic growth. With strategic leadership, thoughtful implementation, and robust security frameworks, tech can empower communities and build resilient, transparent local economies. As key enablers of this shift, city leaders are focusing on driving secure, efficient digital solutions to support stable, forward-thinking urban systems.