From November 4 to 6, 2025, RAISE took part in the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, the world’s leading event dedicated to smart cities and urban innovation. The project’s participation featured a large exhibition booth animated by Spoke 1 and Spoke 4, which showcased solutions and technologies designed to support the sustainable transformation of urban ecosystems.
The RAISE space welcomed researchers and professionals from diverse fields of research and industry. Visitors explored six interactive demo areas where the teams from both Spokes presented concrete applications of robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital technologies serving cities and citizens.
Spoke 1 presented tools for the digital representation of urban environments, predictive models for energy management, sustainable mobility solutions, and inclusive platforms designed to foster civic participation. Spoke 4 brought to Barcelona terrestrial, maritime, underwater, and aerial robots, along with AI systems developed to enhance port safety and improve the efficiency of cargo and passenger traffic management.
On November 5, RAISE organized a mini workshop on urban inclusion, engaging external stakeholders closely connected to the Spoke’s research themes. The meeting, titled “Technologies for Citizens: Opportunities and Challenges to Improve Well-being in Urban Context” and moderated by Michela Spagnuolo (CNR-IMATI), featured RAISE partners Davide Esposito (IIT-UVIP), Michela Mortara (CNR-IMATI), and Antonio Novellino (ETT), alongside external contributors Prof. Takehiko Nagumo (Smart City Institute, Yokohama, Japan), Dr. Giampiero Biamino (Municipality of Genoa), and William De Negro (WillEasy, Udine) with Glauco Miniussi (OVER.AI, Udine). The discussion explored the potential of emerging technologies to improve urban well-being, with a focus on accessibility, participation, and the development of qualitative and quantitative metrics for assessing well-being.
On November 6, the main stage hosted the official Break-out Session titled “Robotics and AI for Socio-Economic Empowerment: Urban Well-being and Smart Ports”, led by Michela Spagnuolo (CNR-IMATI) and Davide Giglio (UNIGE). The session highlighted RAISE’s contribution to building more inclusive and resilient cities with smart, sustainable ports, illustrating how AI and robotics can strengthen urban well-being while fostering new socio-economic opportunities.
During the event, 51 researchers from 16 research groups presented 14 technology demonstrations developed through collaboration between public institutions, universities, and industry. The presentations showcased the tangible impact of RAISE’s innovations – from territorial data analysis and sustainable planning to collaborative robots designed to improve safety and efficiency in urban spaces.
RAISE’s participation in Smart City Expo 2025 offered an important opportunity for international dialogue and networking, consolidating the project’s presence within the European innovation landscape. The days in Barcelona demonstrated the strength of an ecosystem capable of merging scientific research, emerging technologies, and social vision – with the shared goal of creating cities that are more accessible, participatory, and focused on people’s well-being.
