Smart City Expo World Congress 2019

Fair facts

Date 19 – 21 November 2019
Venue BARCELONA | Gran Via Venue
VISITORS 25,000+
EXHIBITORS 1,000+
SPEAKERS 400+
COUNTRIES 140+
CITIES 700+
SIDE EVENTS 65+

About Smart City Expo World Congress 2019

CITIES MADE OF DREAMS

Someone once said that “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” And we think our dreams are not only seductive and radiant, but possible. We believe that a city is not gauged by its infrastructures, its skin, its digital aesthetics, but by the height of its vision to respond to the needs of all citizens, without leaving anybody behind.

Smart City Expo World Congress started back in 2011 with a vision, questioning whether smart initiatives could make sustainable cities flourish. Not because it was a nice thing to do but because environmental footprints were quite alarming.

The data speaks for itself. The special report on Global Warming issued by UN-IPCC on October 2018 warned us that the time to act is now. There are only a dozen years to limit global warming to 1.5ºC and cut risks of extreme heat, drought, floods and poverty. We do know that roughly two-thirds of the global population will be living in urban areas by 2050. So, how do we brace for impact?

We have come a long way since 2011 and the smart city opportunity has become a reality. Today we are happily experiencing this hands-on feeling for the results of the work undertaken. Stakeholders are moving from small proof-of-concept projects to smart implementation at scale.

New governance models and new approaches to equity and a circular economy have also emerged along with IoT, Artificial Intelligence, drones, self-driving cars and new forms of micromobility. New ways of processing and distributing information such as blockchain and IOTA have also come into the picture.

The future is not far-off anymore, the future is now. Cities have become socio-economic and political actors on national and world stages and have a major impact on the development of nations. Yet we need to keep on exploring new paths, reinventing places and scenarios, drawing new cartographies of imagination, as we still have the opportunity to make things happen just the way we need them to be.

NOW, WHAT’S NEXT?

At Smart City Expo World Congress 2019, we dare to keep on dreaming of a smart urban revolution, since we still need green and liveable cities that reflect a strong sense of responsibility to future generations; cities in which public transport coexists with new mobility options; cities that address both security and privacy concerns; inclusive cities where collaboration becomes a central focus to build a better future; cities that look beyond and are prepared for expected changes and unexpected ones.

However, to make things click, we need citizens who dream of a better tomorrow, along with the public and private sectors, civil society, and diverse organizations, as well as academia. We are all implicated.

OUR 2019 EDITION

Smart City Expo World Congress 2019 aims to be the meeting point to encourage all the stakeholders, ranging from technology industries through to policy-makers and entrepreneurs, to engage in dynamic action to enable a sustainable and inclusive future to take hold.

To this end, the event will focus on five main tracks touching on the most pressing issues facing cities: Digital Transformation, Urban Environment, Mobility, Governance & Finance, and Inclusive & Sharing Cities. This approach, together with an extended exhibition area packed with real solutions and networking spots, is expected to outnumber 2018 figures and strengthen the smart community all over the world.

Parallel events such as the Smart Mobility Congress, the Circular Economy European Summit, the Sharing Cities Summit and the Digital Future Society Summit will also contribute to this major objective. Don’t miss the opportunity to master smart initiatives for better living. Don’t be afraid to dream and join other visionaries in transforming seemingly impossible futures into real, thriving cities.