ASCEND will take part in the European Commission-organized Pavilion at Smart City Expo World Congress 2026, taking place from 3 to 5 November in Barcelona. Organised by DG RTD, the EU Pavilion will bring together European initiatives working on urban innovation and climate neutrality, giving ASCEND the opportunity to share its experience with Positive Clean Energy Districts and connect with cities, policymakers and organisations working on urban transformation across Europe.
Several ASCEND cities will be represented in Barcelona, including Munich, Lyon and Prague. Their participation will bring practical city perspectives and experiences into discussions on how climate-neutral districts can move from demonstration towards implementation, investment and wider replication.
On Wednesday, 4 November, Pierre Olivier from Métropole de Lyon and SPL Lyon Confluence will participate in “Innovating in an Era of Uncertainty”, exploring how mobility innovators are responding to changing policy conditions, trade dynamics and supply-chain disruption. This will be followed by “Funding Change: The Investment Models Turning Urban Ambition into Reality”, with Veronika Cerna from TWNTY contributing to a discussion on the role of finance and investment in enabling urban transformation.
ASCEND is also preparing the session “From Climate Commitments to Investable Districts: Financing Net-Zero Cities”, which will bring together perspectives from the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, NetZeroCities, investors and ASCEND cities including. The discussion will focus on what cities need to move beyond isolated pilots and develop bankable, scalable approaches to neighbourhood and city-level transformation. More information on the agenda and sessions will be revealed soon.
Join the SCEWC in Barcelona to meet ASCEND's and other EU-funded representatives at the EC Pavillion, and explore the program of the conference.
