Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona

The Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona is the world’s largest and most important event focused on urban innovation, digitalisation and sustainable urban development. Since 2011, it has brought together representatives of local governments, experts, entrepreneurs and innovators to jointly seek solutions for the cities of the future.

The year 2025 is significant for Slovakia, as it presented itself for the very first time with a joint national exhibition at this prestigious trade fair. The aim was to showcase innovative solutions from Slovak cities, companies and organisations, to strengthen cooperation with international partners, and to highlight Slovakia’s potential in the field of smart cities. Local governments played a key role within SCEWC – their task was to present good practice examples, gain inspiration from international partners, establish cooperation in the areas of digitalisation, sustainable mobility, energy and participation, and to strengthen Slovakia’s position as an active player in the field of modern urban policies.

What did the City of Michalovce present at the national stand of the Slovak Republic?

Michalovce, together with its partners Canex s.r.o. within the Consortium for wAIste and innovations and the Technical University of Košice, presented its experience with the use of artificial intelligence in municipal waste collection and in the asset mapping (passportisation) of public spaces, as well as the use and processing of the collected data.

Through the pilot smart project “Modern Technologies – SMART CITY”, the city implemented several innovative solutions aimed at improving municipal services and the quality of life of its residents. Currently, the City is beginning to implement another smart project, “Address-based Waste Weighing and Implementation of AI Analyses”, which significantly complements and expands the results of the pilot project and closes the loop of a comprehensive system for collecting data on sorting and quantities of residual and separated waste handed over by individual waste producers in the city.

The City is also part of the research project “Research in the Area of Recognising the Cleanliness of Sorted Waste with the Help of AI”, in which it participates as a project partner.

What did we like about the World Smart City Congress?

Exhibitors from all over the world showcased various state-of-the-art IoT devices applicable in both the public and private sectors. Domestic exhibitors presented a drone show with thirty drones, which cities can use, for example, to celebrate the New Year in a more ecological and inspiring way, replacing traditional fireworks.

In the extensive exhibition halls of the FIRA venue, we were often greeted by roaming robots, and above all by a large number of visitors interested in new technologies throughout the three exhibition days. You only need to stop at any stand and you immediately gain a wealth of new and interesting information that can also be used in our city. For the youngest visitors, a LEGO city was particularly attractive – with functional solar panels, a wind power generator, and the possibility to customise a specific city, its important buildings and landmarks.

Participants representing the City of Michalovce and the Consortium for wAIste and innovations