Digital Transformation to Shape the Urban Future at Smart City Expo Shanghai

SCESH is co-organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai (CCPIT Shanghai) and Fira de Barcelona, with the full support of the Shanghai Municipal Government, SCESH, and managed by Shanghai Intex Exhibition.

From October 12th to 14th, the show will provide a unique open exchange platform for all municipal government and business professionals engaged in Smart City fields. Under the theme “Digital Transformation - Shaping Urban Futures”, this year's edition will focus on topics such as smart mobility, inclusive cities, and improving city governance.

Among the speakers taking part in the conference program are Ding Bo Tao, Deputy Director of the Information Research Institute of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences; Han Xin, Deputy Director of Shanghai Institute of Disaster Prevention and Relief; Xu Huili, Director of the Shanghai Urban Operation and Management Center; Zhu Hao, Director of the Smart Transportation Professional Committee at the Shanghai Transportation Trade Association. The event, held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center, expects to gather over 100 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees over three days.

Ricard Zapatero, Director of International Business at Fira de Barcelona, said: “China is undoubtedly key at an international scale in the field of urban innovation as well as in many others. For this reason, Smart City Expo Shanghai is an important part in the strategy to create a global platform for the exchange of ideas and solutions to tackle urban challenges and shape a smarter, sustainable future. A strategy spearheaded by the Smart City Expo World Congress, event held every year in Barcelona, sister city of Shanghai since 2001.”

The international editions of Smart City Expo World Congress, the world event held every year in Barcelona, are part of Fira de Barcelona’s internationalization strategy. Dozens of cities in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Asia have hosted the event since 2013. The cities of Curitiba (Brazil), Mérida (Mexico), Bogotá (Colombia), Santiago del Estero (Argentina) have hosted the 2023 abroad editions and there is one more still to be held in Doha (Qatar).

Fira de Barcelona in China

China is not only an important destination in the urban innovation field. Fira de Barcelona is working to promote events in the Asian country and currently manages the Nanchang and Xuzhou venues, which will host a total of 71 trade fairs and conferences in 2023. This is substantial growth compared to the 41 held in 2022.

Among these events are the Education Equipment Fair that will spread over the entire 140,000 m² space of the Nanchang venue, and the Exhibition of the Chinese Clinical Laboratory Practice Association that will boast over 90,000 m² of exhibition space. This growth strengthens Fira de Barcelona's position as a leader in organizing international-scale events and contributes to its mission of promoting innovation and business development.