Bringing together companies, experts and professionals to discuss smart cities and water cycle management
Fira de Barcelona addresses sustainable development with the Smart City Expo World Congress and Iwater
From 13 to 15 November, Fira de Barcelona will host two international events and various congress events. Companies, cities, experts and professionals will share the latest technological innovations, exchange experiences and discuss how the current digital revolution can bring change to cities, mobility and energy and water management, from a of sustainable development perspective. The leading event on smart cities, the Smart City Expo World Congress, and the Integral Water Cycle Trade Fair, Iwater, will unite over 970 exhibitors, 443 experts and 24,000 visitors, who will come together at the almost 49,000m2 of the Gran Via Exhibition Centre Venue.
Also within the framework of Smart City Expo World Congress other events will be taking place, such as the Smart Mobility Congress and Circular Economy Summit, organized by Fira, the Digital Future Society, organized by the Mobile World Capital, the C40 Talks, the international cities against climate change network and the Sharing Cities Summit, organized by Barcelona City Council. During these events, issues such as connectivity and 5G, resilient cities, mobility of the future, multi-level governance and the circular economy will be addressed.
The General Director of Fira de Barcelona, Constantí Serrallonga, says that “these events will show how the digital and technological revolutions we are experiencing offer great opportunities to bring about new city and energy resource management strategies to build a better future for the planet.” For Serrallonga “over the coming days, the confluence of big companies, professionals and representatives from the world’s major cities will contribute to positioning Barcelona as a city committed to sustainable development.”
With an increase in size of 30%, the 8th edition of Smart City Expo World Congress will be the biggest to date. There will be representatives from more than 700 cities, 413 speakers and 844 exhibitors from the leading companies in the urban solutions industry. It will take place in Pavilions 1 and 2 of the Exhibition Centre venue and expects to exceed 20,000 visitors from over 120 countries. The event, organized by Fira de Barcelona under the heading Cities to Live in, will focus on the development of initiatives which seek to transform cities into places where the lives of citizens are improved.
To achieve this aim, we propose a structured programme focusing on five themes: Digital transformation, Urban Environment, Mobility, Governance and Finance and Inclusive and Shared Cities, with the participation of top experts, such as Rufus Pollock, Economist and Founder of Open Knowledge International, Víctor Pineda, Expert in Social Development and Champion of the Rights of the Disabled, and the Social Entrepreneur, Banker and Economist from Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2006.
Moving towards digital water
For its part, Iwater will showcase the different phases of the integral water cycle in Pavilion 1, focusing on the digitalization of processes to increase efficiency and in the circular economy as a new way of thinking to face the scarcity of water resources. Thus, at its second edition, it will bring together more than 130 brands from 8 countries. They will present state-of-the-art technologies aimed at modernizing infrastructures and guaranteeing the sustainable and intelligent management of water in cities, industry and agriculture. Iwater will host the 9th Water Economy Forum, as well as various information sharing and networking events, with 30 national and international speakers taking the stage. More than 4,000 visitors are expected.
Barcelona, 9th November 2018