Barcelona's Smart City Expo about to begin
Annual congress on urban innovation opens on Tuesday with more exhibitors and more participating cities than ever before
‘Cities to live in' is the slogan for this year's edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress, which opens on Tuesday, with over 800 exhibitors and more than 400 talks scheduled.
Running until November 15, the fair devoted to global urban innovation will also include representatives from over 700 cities around the world and more than 100 mayors.
Among the world capitals at the Smart City Expo, in Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via venue, are Athens, Berlin, Chicago, Stockholm, New York, London and Paris, among many others.
Initiatives for transforming cities
The main aim of the congress is to analyze and debate new and innovative initiatives for transforming cities into places that can improve the lives of the people who live in them.
Since it began in 2011, the Smart City Expo World Congress has grown year-on-year, with this edition boasting 840 exhibitors, making it one of the largest fairs of its kind in the world, while more than 20,000 people are expected to attend.
Among the global companies with a stand at this year's edition are the likes of Bosch, Cellnex, Huawei, Indra, Mastercard, Microsoft, Nec, SAP, Siemens and Suez.
Catalan government and Barcelona council presence
The Catalan government will also have a stand at the congress, with the name Smart Catalonia, which will host 20 Catalan firms and technology centers that have received support from the authorities.
The Barcelona City Council and the Barcelona Metropolitan Authority (AMB in Catalan) will also have stands at the fair, hosting yet more Catalan companies and centers.
Focus on people
According to the organizers, this year's edition will focus on five main issues facing cities: Digital Transformation, Urban Environment, Mobility, Governance & Finance, and Inclusive & Sharing Cities.
What's more, the particular focus for 2018 is local people and what makes a city livable, taking in such issues as the effect of gentrification on neighborhoods and how sharing can make cities more sustainable, resilient and inclusive.
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