The Future of Cities: EU Initiatives and Smart Solutions – Conference Recap
The conference “The Future of Cities: EU Initiatives and Smart Solutions” took place on 3 February 2026 at the Permanent Representation of Slovenia to the European Union in Brussels, bringing together representatives of European institutions, city leaders, and urban innovation experts to exchange views on the future of cities in Europe.
The event focused on how cities can become smarter, more sustainable, and better connected, with a strong emphasis on practical solutions, data-driven decision-making, and European policy frameworks. Through a combination of keynote interventions, project presentations, and open discussion, participants explored current achievements in smart city development as well as the challenges that lie ahead.
The conference was opened by Draško Veselinovič, Director and Member of the Management Board of the Slovenian Business & Research Association (SBRA), and Biljana Prinčič, Project Manager of the UrbanMind project at Riko d.o.o., who highlighted the importance of cooperation between cities, industry, and European institutions in addressing complex urban challenges.
City perspectives were provided by Matjaž Rakovec, Mayor of the City Municipality of Kranj, and Vito Paoletić, Deputy Mayor the City Municipality of Pula, who shared concrete examples from their municipalities and reflected on the role of innovation in improving the quality of life for citizens.
An overview of EU funding opportunities and policy support for urban development was presented by Radka Konstantinova from the European Commission (DG REGIO). André Sobczak (TBC), Secretary General of Eurocities, further addressed key European priorities for cities and the importance of coordinated action at the EU level.
A central part of the programme was dedicated to the UrbanMind initiative. Tomaž Lanišek, Head of the Smart Communities Department, City Municipality of Kranj and Marko Grgić, Senior Professional Associate for Smart City, City Municipality of Pula, presented the project’s objectives and results, followed by a live demonstration of the UrbanMind platform by Andraž Logar, Director of 3Fs d.o.o., the project’s technological partner. The discussion on data-driven urban development was further enriched by Thimo Thoeye from the Open & Agile Smart Cities & Communities initiative. He emphasised how cities can move beyond isolated pilot projects by adopting common frameworks and shared digital building blocks, allowing data to be used more effectively across sectors and borders.
The conference concluded with a high-level roundtable discussion, moderated by Draško Veselinovič, featuring Radka Konstantinova, André Sobczak, Matjaž Rakovec, Peđa Grbin, Janez Škrabec, Andraž Logar, Thimo Thoeye, and Flavio Fuart. Speakers agreed that stronger collaboration across sectors and levels of governance is essential for building resilient and future-ready European cities. The event closed with a networking, offering participants the opportunity to continue discussions and establish new connections in an informal setting.
Overall, the conference confirmed a strong shared commitment to advancing smart, sustainable, and citizen-centred urban development across Europe.
