SMART CITY EXPO WORLD CONGRESS 2026 (SCEWC)
Welcome to the NEB Lab World – powered by Drees & Sommer
How do visions become liveable cities?
By bringing sustainability, digitalisation and innovation together. At the Smart City Expo World Congress, we join forces with our partners to connect ideas, technologies and people that drive urban transformation.
Visit us at one of the world’s leading events for smart and sustainable cities. Discover how collaboration creates more resilient, inclusive and future-ready urban environments.
From Vision to Value
Three days of fresh perspectives, meaningful encounters and new ideas. Join expert panels, explore inspiring solutions and guided tours, and connect in person.
Our Partners
Click on a logo to find out more.
Panel-Programm
10:00 – PANEL
Supporting Cities Towards Sustainable and Inclusive Neighbourhoods
Panelists: Haris Piplas, Manager Urban Solutions, Drees & Sommer · Alexander Schmidt, CEO, BABLE
Moderation: Christine Lemaitre, DGNB / CPEA
11:00 – PANEL
Digital Innovation for Urban Transformation and Development
Panelists: Representative of Drees & Sommer · Representative of Gewobag · Sabine Köhler-Lindig, Product Manager Smart City, Fabrik19 AG
Moderation: Andreas Kieb, Drees & Sommer
12:00 – PANEL
From Smart to Sustainable: Building Climate-Neutral Neighbourhoods
Panelists: Samantha Nicholson, Director, Manchester City Council · Dr. Jürgen Born, Managing Director, Spatial Business Integration GmbH · Julia Bütow, Managing Director, HTP
13:00 – TALK
Talk the Solution: From Parking Space to Urban Value
Panelists: Breogán Sanchez, BABLE · Tom-Erik Kuhlen, MOIA · Luis de Pereda Fernández, Wöhr Parking Systems
Moderation: Sophie von Peter, Senior Consultant, neext / Drees & Sommer
14:00 – WALK AND TALK
Cities in Action: Learning from Urban Pioneers – Tour
14:30 – PANEL
Topic tbd (BABLE), speakers to be announced
15:15 – KEYNOTE
Don't Just Plan the Future. Simulate It.
What if cities had a save game? Explore scenarios, reduce risk, and make smarter investment decisions with Urban Digital Twins.
Speaker: Julia Schmid, Solution Engineer, Drees & Sommer Digital Services
15:30 – PANEL
Urban Intelligence: From Digital Twins to Real-World Impact
Panelists: Jordan Laird, Senior Manager Technology Solutions, Drees & Sommer Digital Services · Greg Demchak, Vice President Emerging Technologies, Bentley Systems · Andreas Grzesiek, Founder, Immersity Lab
Moderation: Haris Piplas, Manager Urban Solutions, Drees & Sommer
16:20 – KEYNOTE
Digital Twins at Scale: Transforming Infrastructure and Urban Systems
Speaker: Greg Demchak, Vice President Emerging Technologies, Bentley Systems
17:30 – NETWORK
German Night
10:15 – PANEL
Protecting Critical Infrastructure in an Increasingly Connected World
Panelists: Dr. Caglar Tukel, Izmir Metropolitan City · Omid Townsend, Head of Cyber Defence & Threat Intelligence, Drees & Sommer Digital Services · Yiannis Koukouras, Managing Director, Twelvesec · Dr. Arda Lelo, ICLEI
Moderation: Julia Schmid, Solution Engineer, Drees & Sommer Digital Services
11:00 – PANEL
Financing the Green Transition: Maximising Impact on Building Renovation
Panelists: Alexander Schmidt, CEO, BABLE · Rebeca Godoy, Deutsche Bank, further speakers to be announced
Moderation: Christine Lemaitre, DGNB / CPEA
12:00 – WALK AND TALK
Urban Safari: Finding Solutions for the Resilient City – a Guided Tour across the Smart City Expo
Guide: Sophie von Peter, Senior Consultant, neext / Drees & Sommer
12:00 – PANEL
Made in Germany: Urban Innovation in the Center of Europe
Panelists: Haris Piplas, Drees & Sommer · Rene Linder, German Cities Association, further speakers to be announced
Moderation: HCU Hamburg
14:00 – KEYNOTE
The City Has Firewalls. What About the Sky?
Drone Defense for the Next Generation of Urban Resilience
Speaker: Nawid Allimoradian, Solution Architect for Network and Security, Drees & Sommer Digital Services
14:00 – WALK AND TALK
Cities in Action: Learning from Urban Pioneers – Tour
14:30 – PANEL
From Urban Data to Citizen Value: Smart City Innovations from Hessen
Panelists: Dr. Sergey Sukhanov, Managing Director, FlyPix AI GmbH · Philipp Wilimzig, City of Kassel · Marius Nickolai, CEO, m2m Germany · Mark Pralle, CEO, Fabrik19 · Michael Wilczynska, CEO, WIANCO OTT Robotics GmbH
Moderation: Julia Schmid, Solution Engineer, Drees & Sommer Digital Services
15:15 – KEYNOTE
Powering Climate-Neutral Cities: The Energy Systems of Tomorrow
Speaker: Thomas Schild, Senior Manager Smart Cities, Drees & Sommer
16:00 – PANEL
Urban Climate Adaptation: Sharing What Works
Panelists: Ghazal Etminan, Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) · Jennifer Stachelhaus, City of Wolfsburg · Dr. Christoph Wehrenfennig, City of Wetzlar · Gregor Grassl, Associate Partner, Drees & Sommer
Moderation: Matthias Schäpers, DGNB
10:00–13:00 – NETWORK
Meet the German Cities
Let’s talk – book a meeting now
Sustainable. Inclusive. Smart.
For the future of European cities: The NEB Lab brings together cities, municipalities, experts and solution providers to shape sustainable, liveable neighbourhoods. Through knowledge sharing, matchmaking and funding support, the network turns urban transformation into tangible progress. Learn more about the NEB Lab.
The Smart City Expo World Congress takes place in Barcelona from 3 to 5 November. It is the world’s largest and most influential event for cities and urban innovation. Each year, it brings together industry leaders, government representatives, researchers, urban pioneers and entrepreneurs. Together, they address complex challenges and shape the future of cities. This year’s event welcomes more than 27,000 professional visitors from 138 countries, over 1,100 exhibitors, around 600 renowned speakers and representatives from more than 900 cities.
Countdown
Tue Nov 3 2026 00:00:00Be part of the story. LET’S ACT.
