Smart City Expo closes a record edition calling for cities to lead global transformation

BARCELONA, Spain, Nov. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the leading international summit on cities and smart urban solutions organized by Fira de Barcelona, has closed its 2025 edition registering record-breaking figures. With over 27,000 attendees from 143 countries, the event focused on how cities must spearhead urban transformation by making use of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Under the theme "The Time for Cities," SCEWC 2025 showcased the transformative potential of technology in the global effort to drive sustainable and efficient urban development. The debut of the AI-enabled Cities area allowed delegates to explore how this technology is accelerating solutions in metropolises worldwide, establishing itself as a catalyst for change.

The Director of Smart City Expo World Congress, Ugo Valenti, said: "Cities are clearly embracing their role and responsibility in the future. The challenges are complex, but they are facing them head-on and steering towards action. Artificial Intelligence has established itself as a critical tool, not just for efficiency but for accelerating the transformation that metropolises urgently need. Cities must lead with purpose and accountability and after this year's event it is clearer than ever that we are on the right track."

SCEWC was held alongside Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress—organized with EIT Urban Mobility—Tomorrow.Building, and Tomorrow.Blue Economy, gathering 1,190 exhibitors including Axis Communications, Bentley, Dahua Technology, Dassault Systèmes, Dell, Deloitte, Google, iot squared, Microsoft, Nvidia, SPIE, Urbaser, and Veolia.

In addition, the events brought together more than 600 international experts, including Nikki Greenberg, Kate O'Neill, and Carlo Ratti, who shared insights on the future of urban living, governance, and mobility.

SCEWC 2025 also highlighted the role of startups in shaping tomorrow's cities, with the Innovation Playground connecting investors, research centers, and nearly 350 young companies showcasing their latest products and technologies.

World Smart City Awards

The Italian city of Rome was awarded "Smart City of 2025" at the World Smart City Awards, which each year acknowledge the most outstanding initiatives and projects in the urban transformation industry. The awards also honored Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and former Executive Director of UN-Habitat, for her contribution to the development of new urban paradigms on a global scale.

Smart City Expo World Congress will return to Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via venue for its fifteenth edition on November 3–5, 2026.

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