These areas bring together the challenges and solutions that are transforming the future of cities, from digitalization, AI applied to cities and green energy, to efficient governance, sustainable urban development and social equity.
The 2026 edition will have a special focus on housing, a fundamental challenge facing cities worldwide. The event will delve into key elements such as Urban Planning and Territorial Policy, Housing Regulation, Social and Affordable Housing, Building Innovation and Renovation, and Rehabilitation and Reuse, with the aim of opening a debate so that all stakeholders can lay the foundations for a new, sustainable residential paradigm for future generations.
The director of the Smart City Expo World Congress, Ugo Valenti, stated that "in the age of AI, quantum technology, and robotics, we must also adopt solutions that have a real and immediate impact on the most pressing urban challenges. Housing is a prime example. Rapid urbanization and population growth are making access to affordable housing one of the defining challenges of our time. By focusing specifically on this issue, we aim to provide a framework for cities, industry, and experts to share practical solutions and accelerate action on a problem that affects people worldwide.".
Confirmed exhibitors include Advantech, Arrive Group, Bright, Dahua Technology, Dell Technology, Deutsche Telekom IoT, ESRI, FCC enviro, Google, Hanwha Vision, LoRa Alliance, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Silicon Highway, Smart Ports, Ubiwhere, Urbio, Veolia, and Yuan High Tech. In addition to the companies, the event will also feature numerous country and city pavilions, including those representing Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Germany, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Czech Republic, the United States, and Tokyo.
The 50 Best Sustainability Solutions at SCEWC 2026 will also feature the "Terra50" exhibition, a new space showcasing the world's 50 best urban sustainability solutions, selected based on their performance to date. This initiative aims to highlight best practices for scaling up successful solutions in areas such as green energy production, waste management, and urban reforestation, which can be replicated in different urban contexts and countries.
Smart City Expo World Congress 2026 will be held jointly with Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress, organized by Fira de Barcelona and EIT Urban Mobility, which seeks to develop a new paradigm of sustainable urban mobility; Tomorrow.Blue Economy, focused on harnessing the full potential of ocean resources for sustainable economic growth; the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit, an event organized by Barcelona Activa focused on scientific and technological entrepreneurship and university spin-offs; and the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress.
