Track: Governance & Economy

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Join us in celebrating the most innovative and impactful initiatives shaping the future of urban living. The World Smart City Awards recognize pioneering projects, visionary leaders, and transformative strategies that are driving progress in cities around the globe. This ceremony is a tribute to excellence, creativity, and collaboration in building smarter, more sustainable urban environments.

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 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.

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.

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.

RSVP: https://www.deloitteconference.com/profile/form/index.cfm?PKformID=0x3101922abcd

"The workshop aims to support cities delegations in finding concrete solutions for the most pressing issues in their cities and moving their smart city agenda forward, by facilitating a dynamic exchange and interaction between the two cities and with relevant experts.  Format: three-hour workshop (by invitation only) for two delegations and other interested participants who will actively engage in peer-to-peer discussion facilitated by experts"

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.

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.

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.

Cities are facing the realities of climate change, and the 2030 Agenda offers a shared framework for action and accountability. This session explores how urban leaders translate global goals into local strategies, integrating climate resilience, innovation, and inclusive planning. It will highlight how governance, collaboration, and long-term vision turn sustainability commitments into measurable urban transformation.

AI's rapid growth creates unprecedented challenges: data centers face significant challenges related to water and energy resources, creating opportunities for infrastructure innovation. Veolia addresses this through strategic collaborations—providing sustainable solutions to tech leaders while leveraging their AI capabilities to optimize Veolia’s environmental services. This drives regional resilience and sustainable digital transformation.

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?

Cities are at the forefront of balancing economic growth, sustainability and digital transformation. Innovation hubs and forward-looking governance strategies are becoming essential to foster prosperity and resilience. This session will bring together urban leaders and innovators to explain how cities are embracing digitalization and new models of governance to accelerate sustainable development, drive innovation and ensure long-term economic vitality.

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.

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?

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.

This session will feature a video message from Mr. Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms of the European Commission, addressing the EU Agenda for Cities.

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.

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.

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.

A relaxed moment to have a drink and mingle with other attendees at the venue’s main entrance after the World Smart City Awards gala.

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.

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?

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

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!

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.

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.