Kate Margetts took a trip to the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona which ran from November 15 to 17. Here's what she brought back in her suitcase:

Following a rather low-key event in 2021, with the absence of Asian players, 2022 saw attendance return to near-normal levels:

As a reminder, Smart City Expo World Congress is:

• The leading global event for cities to promote social innovation, build partnerships and identify business opportunities.
• An event bringing a large number of city and mobility stakeholders together, having a significant impact on post-pandemic economic recovery
• A networking event for discussing and sharing experiences.
• Hosted in Barcelona, a major hub with a global reach which acts as the nerve center of Smart City, providing connections to other key cities around the world.
• A unique opportunity to raise visibility of your products and services, to establish or enhance their presence on a global scale, and expand your business by meeting buyers, contract managers, and local and international decision-makers.

This is a really exciting show which attracts large groups, SMEs, research laboratories and, of course, local authorities. What makes the event so special is that the contractors (both private and public) are often discreetly among the visitors.

This 2022 edition was marked by a major shift. The era of connected objects (street lighting, garbage cans etc.) appears to be over. This year the focus was on data exploitation. The metaverse also had a dedicated area named Puzzle X.

Minalogic joined forces with Grenoble-Alpes (Grenoble-Alpes Métropole and Grésivaudan) and Business France for the show. There were plenty of events organized in the pavilion, including networking breakfasts hosted by Business France with international groups from Brazil, Sweden, Spain, and Poland. Conferences were organized by Total Energies and France Urbain, and, naturally, Business France held a networking drinks reception.

Grenoble-Alpes Métropole also laid on a busy program with presentations from exhibitors each day and a networking drinks event that included a speech by Metropolitan Councilor Florent Cholat. He also presented an overview of the city's innovations and strategies at the conferences.

In addition, Minalogic was an official partner of the Village Francophone for the first time! This initiative brought Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, and France together for the event, and featured virtual tours of the show - les techsplorations - for remote visitors, as well as a business pitch competition!

Thanks to this partnership, Minalogic members will be able to access the network directly for numerous international trade shows throughout the year: Village Francophone - CES - Las Vegas + Phygital World connected studio 2022 (myglobalvillage.com)

All in all, the Smart City Expo World Congress is an excellent forum to make new connections, share content and generate business. Minalogic will certainly be returning for 2023!