The European Commission officially opened its joint booth at the Barcelona Expo under the banner “EU for Resilient Green Cities” (Hall 2, Booth D101) on the first day of the SCEWC. The opening session, featuring Georg Houben (DG ENER), Bettina Mogensen (DG ENV) and Alfonso Alcolea Martinez (DG ENV), welcomed visitors to explore how the EU works for and with cities to accelerate climate action, energy transition, and environmental resilience.
The Smart Cities Marketplace organised several sessions during the expo, discussing topics relevant to the development of inclusive and sustainable cities, ranging from energy management and sustainability efforts to replication opportunities.
Citizen Centric Energy Management, Smart Cities Marketplace
This session explored how European cities are putting citizens at the centre of the energy transition. Moderated by Luigi Lo Piparo (Technopolis Group), speakers from Linz, NTNU’s ClimaGen project, and Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (ATELIER project) shared lessons on engaging communities, building trust, and creating lasting behavioural change. The discussion highlighted that citizen engagement works best when it connects to daily life through local, hands-on initiatives. Cooperation between municipalities, developers, and citizens—often supported by EU projects—helps build trust and innovation ecosystems. Participants agreed that early, meaningful participation and clear benefit-sharing are key to achieving smarter, more sustainable, and citizen-driven energy systems.
Integrated Urban Sustainability Session
This session examined how European cities are advancing integrated approaches to sustainability, linking energy, mobility, infrastructure, and citizen engagement to create coherent strategies for climate-neutral and liveable urban spaces. The Speakers shared practical examples showing how digitalisation and sustainability go hand in hand, with tools such as digital twins helping cities design adaptable, place-based solutions. They emphasised the need to tailor approaches to local contexts and ensure inclusivity, particularly among older citizens, through engagement, education, and creative initiatives like school-based and gaming activities. The session underscored that digitalisation is not an end in itself but a means to improve quality of life, foster cooperation between cities, and scale up successful solutions across Europe and ensure that no one is left behind in the transition to smarter, more sustainable urban living.
Session Focus Group: Geospatial Tools for Cities
The Smart Cities Marketplace hosted a Focus Group on Geospatial Tools for Cities, bringing together representatives from cities, research institutions, and industry to examine how spatial and satellite data can support sustainable urban development.
The day concluded with a closing session at the booth, led by the European Commission, marking the end of three dynamic days under the theme “EU for resilient green cities.” Georg Houben reflected on the successful coordination of the Smart Cities Marketplace stand and thanked the 26 partner organisations involved. He highlighted that the European Commission is on the right track in addressing climate change, which begins locally, with cities and towns at the frontline of the transition.