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Barcelona Roundtable: Building urban AI sovereignty – from infrastructure to intelligence - 4 November 2025
Building urban AI sovereignty – from infrastructure to intelligence
As artificial intelligence and digital twins become central to how cities operate and evolve, a new paradigm is emerging – one in which cities shift from adopters of innovation to enablers and owners of it. This roundtable will explore how city governments can take control of their AI and simulation strategies by building sovereign capabilities that unlock long-term value, reduce dependency, and deliver local impact.
Participants will examine what it takes to establish AI and digital twin centres of excellence within cities – in line with NVIDIA recommendations – enabling them to design, train, deploy, and govern intelligent systems that are aligned with local priorities.
The roundtable will mix real-world examples, both from scene-setting presenters and in conversation, with a workshop approach involving PNY representatives to ensure participants can get foundational questions answered.
As a closed-room event, cities in attendance can feel free to be open and transparent about their challenges, what’s working for them, what’s not, and where they need further support. The roundtable will encourage sharing of best practice and will help cities toward finding solutions to their most pressing challenges.
The roundtable event is an invitation only event for delegates working for cities, local or regional authorities. All registrations are reviewed by our team to ensure relevance and we’ll advise if your seat at the event is approved or not.
Registration closed
Thank you to our sponsors, PNY Technologies, for supporting this event. Learn more at pny.com.
Key themes
Urban AI sovereignty
- How can cities build internal capabilities to lead AI and digital twin innovation from within?
- What are the strategic and operational benefits of owning the infrastructure and frameworks for AI deployment and governance?
- How does local control support citizen trust, long-term value, and responsive public services?
From infrastructure to intelligence
- What is required to transform fragmented infrastructure into an integrated foundation for scalable, intelligent systems?
- How can cities modernise compute, data, and connectivity layers to support real-time simulation, predictive insights, and autonomous operations?
- What role do high-performance platforms and partnerships play in enabling this transformation?
Scaling trust and talent
- How can cities align their AI ambitions with robust data governance, ethical AI practices, and inclusive design principles?
- What strategies can support long-term skills development and create urban AI talent pipelines?
- How can AI and digital twin centres become hubs of local trust, capability, and innovation?
Scene Setter:
At the start of the session, you’ll hear from Akila as they share insights into their deployment of an AI-powered digital twin platform at Monaco’s Monte-Carlo station. The project integrates simulation, AI training, and AI agents to transform how transport hubs are monitored and managed. We'll understand how this approach is already cutting energy use by 20%, halving downtime, and improving safety, security, and crowd management – all while ensuring data sovereignty and cybersecurity compliance. Attendees will gain a first-hand look at how SNCF is using real-time AI and digital twins to reimagine station operations and set a global model for smarter, more sustainable infrastructure.
Agenda: Tuesday 4 November 2025
12.00 – 12.30: Registration, drinks, buffet lunch and networking
12.30 – 12.40: Introductions and scene setter
12.40 – 13.25: General discussion
13.25 – 13.30: Summary and key takeaways
13.30 – 14.00: Drinks and networking
Venue: Hotel Porta Fira (opposite Smart City Expo World Congress), Plaza Europa, 45 – 08908 – Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona
Scene Setter
Name: Pierre-Manuel Patry Title: Head of Strategic Accounts Company: Akila
Biography:
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Pierre-Manuel Patry is a global leader in digital twin and AI-powered solutions for build environment. With over 15 years of international experience in sustainability, energy, and digital transformation, he has spearheaded the launch and growth of innovative SaaS platforms across Europe and Asia. Pierre-Manuel focuses on how digitalization and AI can empower cities and industries to achieve operational excellence and net-zero goals.
Pierre-Manuel will be talking about the deployment of an AI-powered digital twin platform at Monaco’s Monte-Carlo station and how the SNCF is using real-time AI and digital twins to reimagine station operations.
Scene Setter
Name: Nikita Zhivago Title: Senior Business Development Manager - Smart Cities and Spaces, EMEA Company: NVIDIA
Biography:
|
A skilled sales, marketing and business development professional with 20+ years’ experience at major high-tech companies. Capable in strategy development and implementation through multinational regional teams. Has an extensive practice in a breadth of areas: from market and business development to end-user influencing and technology evangelism, including people management and motivation in permanent and temporary teams, managing through reorganizations and starting new things. Brings together a western business standards and knowledge of Eastern European “emerging markets” specifics.
Speaker
Name: Youssef Nadiri
Title: Product and BDM AI Applications
Company: PNY Technologies
Biography: |
Leading Smart Cities & Spaces Solutions at PNY Technologies, Youssef defines strategy and drives the adoption of advanced AI technologies - Vision AI, Generative AI, and Digital Twins - at the edge. Bridging product development, partnerships, and business growth, he helps organisations deploy AI to make cities and spaces smarter, safer, and more efficient..
Moderator
Name: Luke Antoniou Company: SmartCitiesWorld
Biography:
Luke has been reporting on the implementation of smart technologies that benefit citizens and the public sector since 2017.
He has a particularly keen interest in smart and sustainable mobility and its role in influencing the decisions of urban planners, citizens and governments alike.
As rapid urbanisation continues, he keeps his finger on the pulse of the myriad urban challenges facing local and central governments, making new connections in the public and private sectors and finding new angles from which to cover the latest smart city developments around the world. |
Organisations registered to attend
Yalova Municipality
South Dublin County Council
City of Fort Lauderdale
Manchester City Council
Transport for Greater Manchester
NEXUS Leeds
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) - United Nations
Stockholm Business Region
City of Espoo
World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO)
Roma Capitale
City of Torino
Bogotá's ICT Office District
Dublin City Council
Belfast City Council
Copenhagen Capacity
City of Dortmund
London Legacy Development Corporation
City of Copenhagen
City of Cape Town
Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)
West of England Combined Authority
Hammersmith and Fulham Borough Council
Ministry of Digital Development and Information
Town Hall of Truseni
Kyiv City Administration
Ville de Nice
City of Reykjavík
Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities at Results for America
City of Geneva
Liverpool City Region
Ministry of Digital Development and Information
Tallinn Transport Department
Tijuana Metropolitan Planning Institute
West Midlands Combined Authority
Job titles of registered attendees
- Mayor
- Chief Digital Officer
- Director of Climate Change and Zero Waste Department
- CIO Advisor
Next Gen Wirless Projects Manager
Smart City Director
UrbanTech Innovation Partner
Intelligent Transport Systems Development Manager
GIS Coordinator
Transport Commercial Lead
City Councillor
Gen AI Lab - Project Lead
Chief Engineer in charge of European projects
Project Manager
Head of Administration and Communication
Managing Director
IS Director
- Smart City Principal Strategic Consultant
- Director Facilities Management
- Assistant Vice President of Corporate Development, Partnerships and International
- Programme Manager- Digital Office
- Head of Department (Info Comm Technology)
- Senior Strategic Consultant
- Program Director House of Emerging Technologies
- Head of Open Innovation
- Digital Twin Manager, Smart Cities
- Innovation Commissioner
- Investment Promotion, Logistics
- Digital and Data Business Partner
- Department Manager
- Digital Strategy Lead -Growth and Development Directorate
- Head of Innovation
- Smart Cities Lead
- Smart City Manager
- Sustainable Growth Manager
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