"More and more cities implement smart solutions"

The Smart City Expo World Congress is warming up for another record-breaking edition, with an increase in surface area in line with what the smart cities sector is registering. From Tuesday, November 5, to Thursday, November 7, the exhibition, organized by Fira de Barcelona, will feature 1,100 exhibitors, 600 speakers, and 850 represented cities. With a previous attendance of 25,000 congress participants, the fair will now occupy halls 2 and 3 of the Gran Via exhibition center, the largest ones, with a 1,000 square meter space dedicated exclusively to startups.

Part of the growth is due to the return of Chinese cities, pioneers in smart cities, with kiosks where administrative procedures can be resolved in a few minutes. The pandemic paralyzed their participation in fairs and congresses, and it has been difficult to attract them back. With nine parallel events spread across the world, in markets such as the United States, Brazil, or China, the Smart City Expo is now preparing to bring them all together in the Catalan capital. "Here the event is global. In Barcelona, we all meet to learn from each other," summarizes its director, Ugo Valenti. After last year's absence, following the Hamas attack and the invasion of Gaza, Israel will once again have a presence at the fair.

--- You are facing another record-breaking edition.

--- We are growing 30% in exhibition area. This is because the sector itself is growing. More and more cities are implementing smart solutions, which means there are more and more companies and organizations dedicated to this. I'll give a practical example. Before, mayors would come, but now not only do they come, but they are accompanied by different members of their government teams to understand what solutions they can implement in their cities. Then, we grow because both the companies that already participated are increasing their stands to present more solutions, and there are also new companies coming for the first time. There's not much secret, what we do is support the sector.

--- One of the big absentees in past years has been China.

--- Exactly. In 2021, Chinese congressmen and companies stopped coming due to the pandemic, but while the rest of the world in 2022 was already starting to emerge, China did not. It wasn't until 2023 that they started to do so, and now they are almost back to pre-pandemic levels. Without a doubt, they are coming back strong. Also, we recently did the Smart City Expo in China and I was amazed because they are back at a very powerful level of implementation.

--- Give us some examples.

--- It's impressive what they are doing in solutions to make life easier for citizens; they use artificial intelligence a lot. They have kiosks all over the cities where anyone can interact with the administration and resolve any procedure, from buying a house or a car to updating your license or paying a fine. You solve everything in a minute.

"One of the problems of Chinese cities, but also of American ones, is that they always need a car. In Europe, we are lucky that in our cities you can walk on the street and stroll"

--- The number of electric vehicles on the street, of very good quality and manufactured in China, from brands like BYD, Geely or NIO, but also Teslas, Mercedes, Volkswagens... There are already more electric cars than combustion cars in China. It's amazing. In Shanghai, if you drive with a blue license plate, it means your car is electric, and if you drive with a green license plate, it's combustion. Well, you already see more blue license plates than green ones. In China, when you buy an electric car, you have tax advantages and ease of buying it very quickly, whereas when you buy a combustion one, you pay a lot of taxes and it takes a while to get it. A brutal and very developed electric vehicle industry is combined with the government supporting them a lot. It must also be said that there was a real problem, and still is, with air quality in cities. With electric cars, they are solving it, but it is part of the solution, not the only solution.

--- What can they learn from cities like Barcelona?

--- Many things. One of the problems of Chinese cities, and not only Chinese, but also American ones, is that they need cars because the distances are very large. In Europe, we are lucky that in our cities you can walk on the street and stroll, go shopping, go to work... I think they have to learn from us how to make these types of cities more accessible on a human scale. Here the event is global. In Barcelona, we all meet to learn from each other and look at New York, which has applied concepts we have done here, like the super-block in Times Square, with land they have gained from cars to make it a neighborhood and tourist space. It has revitalized the area and it is wonderful.

--- Beyond Chinese cities, what other cities are leaders in the field of smart cities?

--- It depends on the areas. Cities throughout Northern Europe are absolutely cutting-edge in energy efficiency. They are the closest to reaching CO2 emission neutrality. Likewise, in the United States, there is very strong work at a private level but also with the help of cities to bring innovation to the streets. In San Francisco, autonomous taxis circulate through the city with absolute normality and it is not a test, it is functioning in a completely normalized way. Then, in Korea, they are implementing many technological solutions to improve mobility, but they also focus on caring for people over 65, helping them understand technology and interact with it.

--- This year, for the first time, there will be a space exclusively dedicated to startups, with 1,000 square meters.

--- There had always been spaces for startups because they are a very important part of the innovation ecosystem. This year they are growing in space, but we have also created a specific program for investors who can invest in these startups. We are making sure there is a real matching with investors willing to invest. We also help these cities to have spaces and resources so that pilots can be implemented. That is to say, you can have a lamppost that has LED light, that is powered by solar panels and that also has wifi, but it is useless if they don't let you install and test it later. We are helping and provoking this ecosystem of exchange and implementation of experiences. This will grow a lot in the future.