BARCELONA, Spain , Oct. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HOWS Barcelona – Housing World Summit, the new international congress on urban and affordable housing, hosted and promoted by Barcelona City Council and organized by Fira de Barcelona, will bring together governments, cities, real estate developers, third-sector organizations, academia and institutions from 3 to 5 November at the Gran Via venue, alongside Smart City Expo World Congress.
The summit arrives at a time when housing has become one of the defining challenges of our cities with over 300 million people worldwide living with no shelter and 3 billion living in inadequate housing, according to UN-Habitat.
The agency's Executive Director, Anacláudia Rossbach, will be one of the top speakers at HOWS Barcelona. Rossbach has more than twenty years of experience in housing and urban policy, with a particular focus on informal settlements and social housing. She will be joined by Anne Hidalgo, the first woman elected Mayor of Paris and Global Ambassador of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy, who champions an agenda that includes affordable and sustainable housing, and by Anna Minton, author of Big Capital: Who Is London For? and Reader in Architecture at the University of East London, whose work focuses on the financialization of land, property and housing. The summit will also feature Carme Arcarazo, spokesperson at the Sindicat de Llogateres, and Jordi Galvez, President of the Federació de Cooperatives d'Habitatge de Catalunya.
The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, will host the Housing Mayors' Roundtable where the right to stay and the policies being implemented around the world will be discussed. The mayors of Milan, Giuseppe Sala; Budapest, Gergely Karácsony; Athens, Haris Doukas; and Atlanta, Andre Dickens, will participate, as well as Eamon Ryan, President of the European Commission's Housing Advisory Council. Additionally, the event will host the Housing Mayors' Meeting, a closed-door working session bringing together mayors and senior housing officials from international cities.
Five pillars for a shared challenge
The congress program is structured around five key topics – Urban Planning & Land Policy, Housing Regulation, Social and Affordable Housing, Building Innovation, and Renovation, Retrofit & Reuse. Over three days, sessions will range from land availability and the regulation of a rental market strained by tourism and speculation to cooperative housing models, new financing schemes, industrialized construction and the rehabilitation of existing stock with the goal of finding concrete pathways for more accessible cities.
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Anne Hidalgo, Anna Minton and Anacláudia Rossbach, headline HOWS Barcelona
Angelalign Has Already Replaced Torque Ridges with Upgraded "Pressure Points" in Europe
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Angelalign Technology Inc. (6699.HK) ("Angel") http://www.angelaligner.com, a company driven by innovation in orthodontic clear aligner technology, said today that a ruling by the Paris Local Division of the Unified Patent Court concerning its Torque Ridges feature does not affect the availability of its offering in Europe, which already incorporates the next generation of torque-control technology.
Angel already has discontinued Torque Ridges in Europe and has replaced it with an upgraded feature called Pressure Points. Pressure Points, which launched in the European market in September, was designed to improve torque control and reflects Angel's continued commitment to innovation focused on solving orthodontists' clinical challenges. Angel customers in Spain, the UK and outside of Europe, including the Americas and Asia, are not affected by this ruling. Angel is constantly developing new solutions to continue to serve its customers well.
The court today ruled that the Torque Ridges feature infringes a patent held by Align Technology Inc. (ALGN) for repositioning a patient's teeth according to an orthodontic treatment plan. Angel respectfully disagrees with the decision and is reviewing it closely while it evaluates its options. Angel will comply with the court's ruling, including the return of any products. Because Torque Ridges is no longer offered in Europe, orthodontists using Angel products and services can continue treating their patients with access to Pressure Points and Angel's ongoing clinical and technical support.
"Our priority is to ensure that orthodontists can continue delivering excellent care to their patients," said Xavier Cherbavaz, General Manager and Vice President, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Angelalign Technology Inc. "Torque Ridges has already been retired in Europe and replaced with Pressure Points, an approach intended to support controlled force application and tooth contact. We remain focused on giving orthodontists innovative clinical solutions and a dependable customer experience."
"Angel takes intellectual property rights seriously and is careful not to infringe on valid patents," added Richard Hirschland, Angel's Chief Commercial Officer and SVP. "We are reviewing the court's reasoning carefully and will consider all available options. Angel will continue to innovate and improve its products to benefit its providers and their patients despite litigation by a competitor. Continuous innovation means anticipating challenges and preparing solutions to protect the customer experience. Our transition to Pressure Points reflects that commitment. We are determined to continue developing innovative solutions so that orthodontists can rely on Angel over the long term."
To learn more, visit angelaligner.com/eu and www.angelaligner.com.
About Angelalign Technology Inc.
Founded in 2003 and publicly listed since 2021, Angelalign Technology Inc. provides clear aligner solutions to clinically focused professionals and patients in over 60 countries. Having surpassed two million cumulative cases and with about a US$2 billion market capitalization, the company focuses on clinical innovation and professional support to help experts achieve extraordinary outcomes. Its established global operations and continued investment in innovation support its long-term commitment to orthodontists and their patients. Learn more at angelaligner.com.
Media Contact:
Sue Kolb
Angelalign Technology Inc.
sue.kolb@angelaligner.com
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Paris Court Ruling on Discontinued Feature Will Have Minimal Impact on Angelalign Customers
