Intelligent Cities Challenge Conference and Mayors Forum

On 15 and 16 November 2022, the Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) will meet for the ICC Conference and Mayors Forum at the Smart City Expo in Barcelona, Spain. This event will mark the first in-person meeting in ICC history since its beginning in 2020 and looks forward to bringing the cities together face to face.

Anna Athanasopoulou Head of Unit for Proximity, Social Economy and Creative Industries at the Directorate-General for Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs of the European Commission, said “Europe has entered an age of ‘permacrisis’ taking the shape of pressing challenges: climate change, the COVID pandemic, rising inflation, energy crisis, disrupted supply chains and a volatile geopolitical context. Increased efforts are needed to strengthen the resilience of our economy and our societies. European cities, together with their local businesses, are strongly feeling the impact, but they are also at the forefront of efforts to build resilience on the ground and close to the communities. The Intelligent Cities Challenge will maximise their role as brokers of the green and digital transitions, taping on the commitment and active mobilisation of industry, local SMEs and social economy actors”.

The event is split across two days.

Mayors Forum: Day 1 – 15 November

The Mayors Forum will unite high-level political representatives and city leaders from across Europe and beyond to reinforce political commitment on the cities’ twin transition and Local Green Deals. The Mayors Forum will offer the opportunity to exchange visions, priorities and achievements, understand the main challenges and needs of cities, and unpack the impact of recent crises on the transition. Ultimately the Forum seeks to establish cities’ high-level priorities and identify collective solutions and steps forward.

The Mayors Forum will take place during the afternoon of 15 November. The format is interactive, with an in-person panel with 4-5 Mayors and two roundtable workshops with groups of 6-8 Mayors to discuss Local Green Deals and streamlining support.

Participating Mayors are invited to attend a dinner in the evening offered by the Barcelona City Hall with the presence of Ada Colau, Barcelona Mayor, and other Mayors and city leaders attending the Smart City Expo.

See the day 1 draft agenda.

Intelligent Cities Challenge Conference: Day 2 – 16 November

The ICC Conference will welcome city and business representatives from ICC core and mentor cities as well as lead experts. Its full-day programme combines plenary sessions, keynote speeches and networking opportunities. ICC city leaders, chief executives of businesses, policy think tanks, academics, urban development agencies, lead experts, technology leaders, and EU and international mentors will attend.

The overarching focus of the ICC Conference is on the transition towards a green, digital and resilient economy. By bringing participating ICC cities and experts together, the conference aims to take stock of the progress made during the ICC initiative, showcase achievements towards the green and digital transition and reassess priorities ahead in the light of the big urban challenges.

See the day 2 draft agenda.

Registration and information

• ICC Conference and Mayors Summit registration (open to participating ICC cities)
• Intelligent Cities Challenge website
• Smart City Expo registration (open to the public)
• Smart City Expo website