Barcelona – September 11, 2026 -- The Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) will convene 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 visitors, over 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers in Barcelona from November 3-5, 2026, organizers Fira de Barcelona confirmed.
Housing takes center stage as urban infrastructure gap widens
Under the theme 'Urban Solutions, Concrete Impact,' this year's edition places specific emphasis on housing, described as one of the most pressing challenges facing cities globally. The congress program is structured around seven thematic tracks: enabling technologies, energy and environment, mobility, governance and economy, lifestyle and inclusion, infrastructure and building, and blue economy.
New global housing summit HOWS Barcelona debuts at the Gran Via venue
SCEWC will host the first edition of HOWS Barcelona, a new global summit dedicated to housing that will tackle urban planning, land policy, housing regulation, social and affordable housing, and building renovation and reuse. The summit aims to open debate on the foundations of a new residential paradigm.
Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA and Deutsche Telekom IoT anchor the exhibition floor
The exhibition space will host global technology firms including Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Dell Technologies and Deutsche Telekom IoT, alongside a wide range of national and municipal pavilions. A new exhibition, 'Terra50,' will showcase the top 50 global solutions for urban sustainable development.
Speaker lineup includes futurist Nikolas Badminton and UN Women's Bibiana Aido
More than 600 experts will participate across sessions, including Nikolas Badminton, chief futurist and think tank lead at Futurist.com, who will present his outlook on the future of cities. Badminton advises companies and institutions on strategic foresight, trend detection and scenario planning for complex, fast-changing environments.
Ayumi Moore Aoki, founder of Women in Tech Global, will also speak, focusing on diversity and inclusion as drivers of urban innovation and how inclusive leadership can scale sustainable urban development. Other confirmed speakers include Bibiana Aido of UN Women, Bilel Jamoussi of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and Chiara Corazza of the Women's Economic Forum.
Five parallel congresses reinforce Barcelona's innovation hub status
SCEWC 2026 will run alongside the Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress, Tomorrow.Blue Economy, HOWS Barcelona, Barcelona Deep Tech Summit and Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, consolidating Barcelona's position as a meeting point for global urban innovation leaders in November.