For the second consecutive year, SPARCS joined a group of 31 European Union (EU) projects at the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) from 7-9 November 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. The event, globally recognised as a leading forum for urban innovation and city-centred solutions, is a major hub for pioneering ideas to shape sustainable cities’ future. SPARCS took part in the joint stand under the EC Initiatives on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, presenting urban solutions in line with the EU Green Deal and the REPowerEU plan.

SPARCS, along with POCITYF, RESPONSE, and ATELIER, took centre stage in leading the conversation about PEDs and their role in cities climate neutrality in a special booth session on 8 November named “Sustainable Cities Powered by Positive Energy Concepts.” The session was part of a wider interactive program, which comprised sessions organised by participating projects and initiatives, further enriching the congress’s thematic discussions.

Later that day, counsellor of SPARCS fellow city Kladno and Ondřej Rys presented the city’s efforts to lead climate actions during the policy congress session Creating Irresistible Climate-Neutral Cities alongside members of the Cabinet of the EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson, Net Zero Cities and representatives from cities in Slovenia and Finland.

The role of innovative business models in expanding the reach and impact of mobility and energy projects became the centre of the agora session titled “Scaling Up Mobility and Energy Projects with Innovative Business Models” on 7 November. In a 45-minute panel discussion session, partners SPARCS, MAKING-CITY, ICC, and Scalable Cities showcased business-oriented use cases drawn from the State of European Smart Cities, a repository representing 550 solutions in 120 cities.

SPARCS partners from the city of Espoo, Leipzig and Kladno joined the event alongside partners from VTT, Fraunhofer, CVUT and GOPA Com, who were responsible for the live coverage of the event. The SCEWC 2023 was a resounding success, attracting over 1,100 exhibitors, 25,300 attendees, and representation from more than 800 cities across 140 countries. The event featured 577 speakers and 273 sessions presenting various smart and sustainable urban solutions.