The world’s premier urban technology forum, the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), is convening with a clear and urgent mandate: to move beyond strategic discourse to verifiable, large-scale implementation. In an exclusive interview with EE Times SCEWC Director Ugo Valenti characterizes the upcoming event as a “crucial turning point” and “point of inflection” for the industry, shifting focus from “planning and strategy to implementation”.
This year, the event demands hard data: most Congress sessions will focus on “real case studies,” requiring speakers to detail their “real implementation,” including the specific KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) utilized and the results obtained.
A major novelty is the “significant push” toward Artificial Intelligence (AI). A dedicated conference room, “AI for Cities,” has been established, thanks in great measure to Nvidia’s involvement and its partner ecosystem. This focus aims to stop generic discussions and instead showcase “real implementation solutions” on the ground, assessing “how these solutions are genuinely functioning”.
Underpinning this urgency is the vast infrastructure challenge facing global cities. Valenti notes that 70% of the necessary infrastructure is missing leading up to 2050, driven by complex “core” issues like mobility. The event will tackle this through tracks like Tomorrow Buildings, focusing on materials, connectivity, and integration into the urban space.
Read the exclusive interview with SCEWC Director Ugo Valenti in EE Times to learn more about the shift to implementation, the dedicated AI focus, and the massive infrastructure deficit driving urban technology forward.
