SmartCitiesWorld Summit takes place
during London Climate Action Week
Roundtables at SmartCitiesWorld Summit
The SmartCitiesWorld Summit roundtables and workshops bring together key stakeholders from local authorities, technology providers and investors in a closed room format to generate innovative ideas and practical strategies for tackling the challenges we face around urban climate action, resilience, and digital transformation. cities to lead digital and sustainable transformation
If you are interested in any of the sessions below, please let us know during the registration process. From there, we will reach out to registered delegates with specific information. All registrations are reviewed by our event curator to ensure the perfect mix for the conversation.
3,000+
IN-PERSON AND
VIRTUAL DELEGATES
90+
EXPERT
SPEAKERS
50+
INSIGHTFUL
SESSIONS
750
REGIONAL, CITY &
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Cities Climate Action
In association with:
Roundtable: What local authorities really need from the energy system
As cities push harder on electrification the gap between local climate ambition and the realities of the energy system becomes more visible. This roundtable delves into where city plans are running ahead of grid capacity, regulatory frameworks and utility processes – and how that gap can be closed. Participants will compare real constraints, share what has worked in working with network operators and energy providers, and explore how cities can influence investment plans, data sharing and flexibility markets. The emphasis is on peer learning, not presentations – what cities are actually doing to unblock delivery.
Key talking points:
- Where electrification plans are colliding with grid constraints in practice
- How cities are engaging energy networks, regulators and suppliers more effectively
- What data and visibility cities need from the energy system to plan credibly
- Using flexibility, phasing and place-based planning to reduce risk and delay
- Turning city climate strategies into signals the energy system can respond to
Urban Resilience
Roundtable: What actually breaks first? Stress-testing city systems together
This roundtable is built around the idea of jointly stress-testing urban systems across heatwaves, flooding, power outages, or compound shocks. Participants will compare how different cities identify critical dependencies, failure points and cascading risks, and how that insight is changing investment, maintenance and emergency planning. The session is designed to be scenario-driven and interactive, not a set of case study presentations.
Key talking points:
- Where cities are most vulnerable to cascading failures across systems
- How to identify and prioritise truly critical assets and services
- Using scenarios, simulations and data to test assumptions before crises hit
- Turning resilience assessments into real budget and policy decisions
- Improving coordination between infrastructure, emergency response and social services
Smart City Innovation
In association with:
Roundtable: AI in city operations: from promise to production
This roundtable is a practitioner-focused conversation about what it really takes to put AI into day-to-day operations such as traffic management, inspections, customer services or permitting. Participants will share lessons on data readiness, procurement, governance, risk management and internal capability, with a focus on what changes when AI becomes part of core service delivery rather than a side project.
Key talking points:
- Which operational use cases are genuinely delivering value today
- Data, integration and change management barriers to scaling AI in city services
- How to manage risk, accountability and trust when AI supports decisions
- Building internal capability rather than permanent dependence on vendors
- Moving from pilots to platforms that multiple departments can rely on
Workshop: AI CityXchange
Strategic Partner:
Workshop: AI CityXchange London
AI CityXchange is SmartCitiesWorld’s dedicated platform for AI in cities. Part of the AI CityXchange is an international workshop series designed to help cities accelerate the practical adoption of AI with the latest edition taking place in London. This workshop will focus on how AI is being implemented in practice, showcasing real-world deployments from local authorities in London, and examining where AI is already delivering operational value and where challenges remain. Like others in the series, this workshop and its roundtables will take a hothousing approach in a closed-room environment – bringing attendees together to surface ideas, overcome shared challenges, and co-develop practical solutions.
Key talking points:
Moving from AI hype to everyday operational reality, integrating AI into city systems, workflows and services
Putting in place the foundations for success: what frameworks, partnerships, and operational practices are important to enable progress?
How cities can scale AI pilots and move from experimentation to embedded operations that deliver a broad impact
Building trust around AI and delivering responsible, transparent and positive outcomes for communities
What organisational, technical, skills-based and cultural barriers must be overcome to scale AI effectively and what does “AI readiness” looks like in practice?
About SmartCitiesWorld
The SmartCitiesWorld platform has over 55,000 members from the public, private and nonprofit sectors. With its Technology Innovation for Community Centric Cities (TICCCITIES) and Cities Climate Action Campaigns, SmartCitiesWorld is dedicated to sharing ideas that solve urban challenges through research, trend programmes, workshops, and events designed to convene, educate and inspire the ongoing transformation of all cities.
Cities Local and Regional Authorities
In 2025, the Summit brought together 834 cities and local governments from across the globe through our in-person and virtual agenda. This is the must-attend event for cities and sub-national governments searching for the next steps in their resilience and innovation journeys.
Partners
Partnering with organisations like C40 Cities, Resilient Cities Network Connected Places Catapult and the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, the Summit engages and supports cities and their collaborators in transitioning towards smart, sustainable, resilient, equitable, and prosperous futures for all communities
Exhibitors
SmartCitiesWorld Summit is dedicated to showcasing the private sector entities paving the way through innovation, opening the pathway for greater public-private collaboration.
They say it best
“It’s incredible to see so many people in the room – businesses, innovators, cities, those on the front line that are delivering for a fairer and greener London. I think through conversations [like today] we can come up with the solutions.”
Mete Coban MBE
Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Greater London Authority.
“Events like this that bring together voices in solidarity around the need for climate action – the urgent need for stepping up climate action – are absolutely vital.”
Susan Aitken
Leader, Glasgow City Council
“Coming here for the first time, I was overwhelmed by the conversations, the rich keynotes, the roundtables and panels – and the energy, innovation and transparency from the companies and speakers. It was uplifting and gave me more energy than I had.”
Serena McIlwain
Secretary, Maryland Department of Environment
“The collection of people you have in London is off the charts – all learning from each other, all using their examples to inspire other cities and partners to take action. it's great to see the momentum building.”
Cassie Sutherland
MD for Climate Solutions & Networks, C40 Cities
Our ground-breaking Report:
Our ground-breaking Cities Climate Action Trend Report lays the foundation for this event - which analyses 200 cities’ targets, actions and priorities in the fight against climate change. We also build on the work achieved through the SmartCitiesWorld COP26 Charter alongside our recent Cities Climate Action Panel Discussion
Our world-class speakers make the case for a new climate imperative. Our audience provides the network to mobilise best practices for cities worldwide.
Just some of the quotes that City Halls gave us:
"Cities shouldn’t wait for a new optimal technology to emerge in the future to get started because there are already so many ways to get started off the shelf."
Björn Hugosson, Chief Climate Officer, City of Stockholm
"The importance is working with other levels of government, communities and the private
sector as we just can’t do it alone."
Lord Mayor Sally Capp, City of Melbourne
What is unique about the Cities Climate Action Summit?
Different from traditional city events, the Summit seeks to uncover tangible solutions—you will see and hear the latest from leading policymakers, technologists and financiers to learn what is working and what is not working.
The Summit will provide a holistic view of how urban climate action can be achieved at scale.
Why host the Cities Climate Action Summit?
Experts across the globe from the World Bank to the World Economic Forum estimate investment needed to combat the climate crisis surpasses US$90 trillion by 2030.
And cities are at the crossroad for this investment! The Summit will focus on the policy, the finance and the technology to make these investments wisely—to inform city leaders so they can work to serve and protect their citizens
2026 Partners
Contact us
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Smart Cities World Ltd, 37 Lombard Street, London, EC3V 9BQ