Clust-ER Health at Smart City Expo World Congress 2026: bringing innovation in health to the smart cities of the future

Clust-ER Health took part in the Smart City Expo World Congress 2026 in Barcelona as part of the Emilia-Romagna regional delegation, joining representatives from the regional innovation ecosystem, other Clust-ERs, companies, research organisations and public institutions.

Coordinated by ART-ER and the Emilia-Romagna Region, the delegation provided an important opportunity to showcase the region’s expertise, strengthen international connections and explore new opportunities for collaboration around the digital and sustainable transformation of cities and communities.

As part of the programme hosted at the Emilia-Romagna Region’s exhibition stand, Clust-ER Health played an active role by organising and hosting a dedicated seminar within the framework of the AMBITIOUS project, entitled: “Smart solutions for a connected future: AMBITIOUS I3 Project for mobility, agriculture and health“.

The seminar brought together experts, innovators and key stakeholders to explore how smart technologies and cross-sector collaboration can accelerate digital transformation and generate practical solutions for citizens and businesses.

The event opened with a welcome address by Elena Mazzoni, Regional Minister for the Digital Agenda of Emilia-Romagna, followed by opening remarks from Teresa Bagnoli, Investments and Construction Area Manager at ART-ER.

The discussion featured an international panel of experts:

• Christos Zaroliagis, Professor and Head of the ICE Lab, University of Patras, Greece.
• Christos Panagiotou, CEO of PIKEI.
• Elisa Silva, HMI Department, UX, Human Factors and Ergonomics at RE:Lab s.r.l.
• Enzo Francesca, CTO and Founder of our member Includia.

The session was moderated by Paola Bello, Project Manager at Clust-ER Health.

The seminar highlighted the importance of breaking down traditional sectoral boundaries and fostering synergies between research, technology, industry and regional innovation ecosystems.

Through the AMBITIOUS project, mobility, agriculture and healthcare were explored as interconnected areas where digital technologies and innovative solutions can create new opportunities, improve services and contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive future.

For Clust-ER Health, participation in Smart City Expo was an opportunity to bring the healthcare and life sciences perspective into a broader discussion on smart cities, demonstrating how health innovation is an essential component of the digital transformation of territories.

Being part of the Emilia-Romagna delegation also offered valuable opportunities to exchange experiences, establish new connections and strengthen the international visibility of the regional innovation ecosystem.

Discover the AMBITIOUS project: https://ambitious-project.eu/

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.