BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), the leading international event on cities and smart urban solutions organized by Fira de Barcelona, will hold its 2026 edition from November 3 to 5 at Barcelona's Gran Via venue, bringing together 1,000 cities, more than 25,000 attendees, over 1,000 exhibitors and 600 speakers. Under the theme "Urban Solutions, Real Impact," this year's edition will place special focus on housing, one of the most pressing challenges facing cities worldwide, while showcasing technologies designed to deliver tangible, scalable impact.
The congress program is structured around seven tracks — Enabling Technologies, Energy & Environment, Mobility, Governance & Economy, Living & Inclusion, Infrastructure & Building, and Blue Economy — spanning digital transformation, artificial intelligence, green energy, governance and social equity.
Over 600 experts will take part in the sessions, including Nikolas Badminton, Chief Futurist and Think Tank leader at Futurist.com, who will share his vision on the future of cities. An artificial intelligence expert, Badminton helps companies and institutions build strategic foresight capabilities, identify the trends shaping the world, anticipate unforeseen risks, and prepare for complex, evolving environments through long-term thinking and scenario planning.
Ayumi Moore Aoki, founder of Women in Tech Global, will also participate in the congress. Her work focuses on the importance of diversity and inclusion as key drivers of innovation in the urban context. Moore Aoki underscores how inclusive leadership can support sustainable urban development at scale. The conference also features Bibiana Aido of UN Women, Bilel Jamoussi of the ITU, and Chiara Corazza of the Women's Economic Forum, among others.
SCEWC will host the first edition of HOWS Barcelona, a new housing world summit that will focus on topics such as urban planning and land policy, housing regulation, social and affordable housing, and building renovation and reuse, opening a debate on the foundations of a new residential paradigm.
The exhibition floor will host global companies including Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Dell Technologies and Deutsche Telekom IoT, alongside a wide range of country and city pavilions and the new "Terra50" showcase, unveiling the world's top 50 sustainability solutions in the urban field.
SCEWC 2026 will run jointly with Tomorrow.Mobility World Congress, Tomorrow.Blue Economy, HOWS Barcelona, Barcelona Deep Tech Summit, and Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, consolidating Barcelona as a global meeting point for urban innovation this November.
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Smart City Expo 2026 speeds up towards urban solutions that yield real impact
RAAMSDONKSVEER, Netherlands, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dutch company PAL-V has obtained its European Production Organisation Approval (POA). With this milestone, PAL-V now holds both the automotive and aviation production approvals required to manufacture its products on an industrial scale. This approval authorises PAL-V to manufacture aviation products under EASA regulations and marks a significant step toward bringing certified FlyDrive mobility solutions to market.
PAL-V is the first company in the FlyDrive segment of Advanced Air Mobility to receive this approval, placing the company in a unique position worldwide, well ahead of both American and Chinese initiatives within the sector.
PAL-V has ensured compliance with existing regulations across all areas of its development programme. With the achievement of its POA, PAL-V has successfully completed several critical certification milestones, including receiving a "No Technical Objection" from EASA in 2025.
The POA confirms that PAL-V's production system meets the stringent requirements for airworthy manufacturing. This milestone validates nearly two decades of development of certification experience and regulatory expertise that have established the company as the clear leader in the emerging FlyDrive market.
"Obtaining the POA is a major milestone for PAL-V," said Robert Dingemanse, CEO of PAL-V. "It confirms that we have not only developed a groundbreaking platform for FlyDrive products but have also built a world-class organisation capable of developing, certifying and manufacturing airworthy products."
The development of PAL-V extends far beyond a single product. Around the company, a growing ecosystem has emerged consisting of Dutch and European partners, suppliers, knowledge institutions and certification specialists. The expertise in aviation certification, manufacturing, engineering and regulation represents a valuable strategic asset for both the Netherlands and Europe within the rapidly expanding Advanced Air Mobility industry. PAL-V will also integrate developments in autonomous flight, advanced materials and components, and zero-emission propulsion systems which are driving a wave of innovation entering the aviation market.
With the Production Organisation Approval secured and a reservation portfolio sufficient to fill the first three years of production, PAL-V has taken a major step towards creating an entirely new mobility category that enables professionals to overcome operational challenges more quickly, efficiently and effectively.
As a result, the Netherlands once again has an aircraft manufacturer with international potential, and a technology company whose capabilities and ecosystem are of strategic importance to Europe.
CONTACT: pressinfo@PAL-V.com
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European Approval for Production Organisation Dutch Flying Car Company PAL-V
