Smart City Expo 2026 is accelerating urban innovation with solutions that create real impact.
Smart City Expo World Congress 2026: Driving Urban Solutions with Real Impact
The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the leading international event dedicated to cities and smart urban solutions, will take place from 3 to 5 November 2026 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue. Organized by Fira de Barcelona, the event is expected to bring together representatives from 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 visitors, over 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers from around the world.
Held under the motto “Urban Solutions, Real Impact,” this year’s edition places a particular focus on housing construction, one of the most pressing challenges facing cities worldwide. The event will showcase technologies, policies and innovative approaches designed to deliver tangible, scalable solutions to the challenges of modern urban development.
The congress programme is structured around seven thematic areas: Enabling Technologies, Energy & Environment, Mobility, Governance & Economy, Living & Inclusion, Infrastructure & Building, and Blue Economy. Together, these areas explore key issues including digital transformation, artificial intelligence, clean energy, urban governance, social inclusion and sustainable infrastructure.
More than 600 experts and thought leaders will contribute to the programme. Among them is Nikolas Badminton, chief futurist and head of the think tank at Futurist.com, who will share his perspective on the future of cities. As a specialist in artificial intelligence and strategic foresight, Badminton works with companies and institutions to identify emerging trends, anticipate potential risks and prepare for increasingly complex and rapidly changing environments through long-term thinking and scenario planning.
The congress will also welcome Ayumi Moore Aoki, founder of Women in Tech Global, whose work highlights the importance of diversity and inclusion as drivers of innovation. Moore Aoki will explore how inclusive leadership can contribute to sustainable urban development and help cities create more equitable opportunities at scale. Other prominent speakers include Bibiana Aido of UN Women, Bilel Jamoussi of the ITU, and Chiara Corazza of the Women’s Economic Forum.
A major addition to this year’s programme is the first edition of HOWS Barcelona, a new global summit dedicated to housing. The summit will examine issues including urban planning and land policy, housing legislation, social and affordable housing, and the renovation and reuse of existing buildings. It will also provide a platform for international stakeholders to debate the foundations of a new housing paradigm and explore practical approaches to making cities more affordable and inclusive.
The exhibition floor will bring together leading global technology companies, including Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Dell Technologies and Deutsche Telekom IoT, alongside national, regional and city pavilions showcasing urban innovation from around the world. A new exhibition initiative, Terra50, will also highlight 50 of the world’s leading sustainability solutions designed to address urban challenges and accelerate the transition towards more sustainable cities.
SCEWC 2026 will take place alongside several major events, including the Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress, Tomorrow.Blue Economy, HOWS Barcelona, the Barcelona Deep Tech Summit and the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress. Together, these events will create a broad international platform for exploring the technologies, policies and ideas shaping the cities of the future.
With its focus on practical solutions, collaboration and measurable outcomes, Smart City Expo World Congress 2026 aims to strengthen Barcelona’s position as a global hub for urban innovation and provide a platform for turning ambitious ideas into real-world impact.
