Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona brought together city leaders, policymakers, and industry to advance practical urban innovation—anchored in digital transformation, mobility, sustainability, and climate-neutral city ambitions.

Across the expo halls, workshops, and the Open & Agile Smart Cities meet-ups, a consistent message stood out: cities are not waiting to be directed—they are setting direction themselves by connecting technology with purpose and building shared data ecosystems that make change usable and trustworthy.

For RDE, this aligns directly with our work on smart communities and data spaces. The week reinforced a simple takeaway: digital infrastructure only matters when it supports human values, local identity, and measurable progress toward a more sustainable Europe.