Published on 22.10.2026
Written by FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
FinEst Centre for Smart Cities will showcase its research-based urban solutions at Smart City Expo World Congress 2026, taking place on 3–5 November in Barcelona.
Researchers and experts will contribute to discussions on urban resilience, sustainable construction, data spaces and urban innovation, while presenting four ongoing smart city pilot projects through practical demonstrations and expert sessions.
This year, the FinEst Centre is joining forces with other European smart city hubs at the European Twinning & CitiVerse Plaza, a joint European pavilion led by LDT CitiVERSE EDIC. The Plaza brings together cities, researchers, innovators and technology providers to demonstrate how digital twins, artificial intelligence, data spaces and other smart city technologies can support urban development and be adapted for use across Europe.
Throughout three days, visitors can attend expert discussions, explore interactive demonstrations and discover solutions developed through collaboration between researchers, cities and technology partners. Alongside the European Twinning & CitiVerse Plaza programme, FinEst Centre experts will contribute to discussions on other stages of the congress.
Urban Systems Stage
17:05–17:55 | Cities That Endure: Rethinking Urban Resilience for the Next Decade
Speaker: Henna Fabritius, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
How can cities strengthen their resilience in an increasingly uncertain future? Henna Fabritius will contribute to a discussion on rethinking urban resilience and preparing cities for the challenges of the coming decade.
Impact Tech Stage
17:05–17:55 | From Bricks to Brains: How Are We Redefining What It Means to Build?
Speaker: Jaana Merisaar, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
Jaana Merisaar will join a discussion on how innovation and emerging technologies are reshaping the built environment and changing approaches to construction and urban development.
European Twinning & CitiVerse Plaza – Central Stage
15:00–15:15 | Dynamic vegetation models of local vegetation species for Helsinki’s urban digital twin
Speaker: Lauri Lemmenlehti, City of Helsinki
Helsinki is developing a greener layer for its urban digital twin by incorporating models of local vegetation species. The presentation will explore how representing the complexity of urban ecology requires new approaches to digital modelling and how these developments can support more ecologically informed urban planning.
European Twinning & CitiVerse Plaza – Sandbox Area
11:20–11:35 | TayuTech: The Modular Street
Speakers: Mohamed Nazrul Mohamed Nazeer, TalTech, and Boris Tomas, Smart Dún Laoghaire
Visitors can experience an interactive demonstration of TayuTech, a solution that uses sensors installed on moving vehicles to collect and process urban data in real time. The demonstration will show how cities can improve environmental and infrastructure monitoring while reducing the need for extensive new sensor networks.
10:40–10:55 | TreeCity + Herbarium.ai: A digital twin for the whole urban tree
Speaker: Kristiina Kupper, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
The TreeCity and Herbarium.ai demonstration will show how dynamic above-ground tree models can be combined with 3D root models to create a more complete digital representation of urban trees. This approach can help cities better understand tree growth and underground root systems, supporting more informed urban greenery planning and healthier urban trees.
11:00–11:15 | Local vegetation species in Helsinki’s 3D city model
Speaker: Lauri Lemmenlehti, City of Helsinki
Helsinki has incorporated its 50 most common tree and shrub species into its 3D city model. This demonstration will introduce how local vegetation data is being integrated into the city’s digital planning environment.
Impact Tech Stage
09:30–10:15 | Urban Identity as a Catalyst – G100 Smart City Wing Panel
Speaker: Külle Tärnov, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities
Külle Tärnov will participate in a G100 Smart City Wing panel exploring urban identity and its role in shaping the development of cities.
European Twinning & CitiVerse Plaza – Central Stage
10:00–10:55 | Four solutions for real urban challenges: UrbanDip, TayuTech, Re-X and TreeCity
FinEst Centre researchers and project representatives will introduce four pilot projects that are developing and testing practical solutions in collaboration with cities.
Together, the presentations will demonstrate how research-based innovations can address challenges related to water quality, urban monitoring, circular construction and urban biodiversity.
European Data Space for Smart Communities – Presentation
12:00–12:30 | Positioning of the European Data Space for Smart Communities
Speaker: Anniki Puura, TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology
Anniki Puura will present the European Data Space for Smart Communities, an initiative supporting trusted and interoperable data sharing across European cities and communities.
The session will contribute to discussions on the role of data spaces in enabling cooperation, supporting data-driven services and connecting smart community initiatives across Europe.
Discover more European Data Space for Smart Communities presentations at the Expo
European Twinning & CitiVerse Plaza – Sandbox Area
15:20–15:35 | UrbanDip: Bathing water quality predictions and data platform
Speakers: Peeter Laas and Ciprian Briciu-Burghina, FinEst Centre for Smart Cities, TalTech
The UrbanDip team will demonstrate its approach to bathing water quality predictions, introduce real-world pilot sites and present a digital platform designed to provide cities with secure access to water quality data while making information accessible to swimmers and recreational water users.
Smart City Expo World Congress provides an opportunity for cities, researchers, public authorities and technology companies to discover practical smart city solutions, exchange experiences and explore potential collaboration.
Visitors interested in urban digital twins, environmental monitoring, smart mobility, circular construction, data spaces or data-driven urban planning are welcome to meet the FinEst Centre team and discuss how these technologies could be applied in their own cities.
Event details
Smart City Expo World Congress 2026
Dates: 3–5 November 2026
Pavilion: European Twinning & CitiVerse Plaza
Location: Fira Barcelona, Hall 3, Stand D71
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