The partner Inova-Ria took part in the Smart City Expo World Congress, held from 3 to 5 November 2025 in Barcelona, within the scope of the internationalisation activities of WP17 of the Microelectronics Agenda.
Recognised as one of the world’s leading events dedicated to smart cities, the Smart City Expo World Congress brought together more than 1,190 exhibitors, experts, public decision-makers, technology companies and research centres from around the world, focusing on areas such as smart mobility, energy, sustainability, connectivity, urban management and digital innovation.
Scope and Objectives of the Mission
The prospecting visit had the following main objectives:
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To map internationalisation opportunities for microelectronics applied to smart city solutions;
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To identify international companies and partners relevant for future System Pilot Projects (PPS) under the Microelectronics Agenda;
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To deepen knowledge of emerging technologies with a direct impact on microelectronics, semiconductors and integrated systems;
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To position the Microelectronics Agenda as a Portuguese reference within the European ecosystem;
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To analyse international trends with potential influence on the development lines of the PPS.
Institutional Representation
The delegation representing the Microelectronics Agenda consisted of two representatives from Inova-Ria.
This institutional presence helped strengthen the consortium’s recognition among technology companies, international clusters, research centres and public entities.
Preliminary Results
Key outcomes of the mission included:
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Identification of potential international technology partners;
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Mapping of companies with relevant solutions in microelectronics applied to smart cities;
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Demonstration of mutual interest in future collaborations within the scope of the PPS;
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Establishment of strategic contacts for future internationalisation missions under WP17.
Conclusions
Participation in the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 proved to be highly strategic and aligned with the objectives of the Microelectronics Agenda, reinforcing the consortium’s international visibility and Portugal’s positioning within the global value chains of microelectronics and advanced digital technologies.
The event highlighted that the development of Smart Cities is strongly dependent on advances in areas such as sensors, IoT, advanced semiconductors, power electronics, 5G/6G connectivity, embedded systems and artificial intelligence—domains in which the Microelectronics Agenda plays a decisive role.
This mission also enabled the collection of strategic insights into emerging trends, business models and investment priorities, providing a solid basis to guide the future development of the PPS, strengthen the international dimension of WP17 and identify new markets and cooperation opportunities.
In summary, more than a prospecting activity, this participation contributed to consolidating the Microelectronics Agenda as a structuring instrument for the affirmation of the Portuguese technology ecosystem at European and international level, particularly in the field of smart cities.
