The Top7 Communities of 2025 will be announced in Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain – a Smart21 Community and leading community in Spanish intelligent community development. Las Rozas is a city of just under 100,000 people, and is home to nearly 15,000 companies and self-employed workers. Its success has been from a combination of strong mayoral leadership, multi-level workforce development, and an innovation ecosystem largely driven by Las Rozas Innova, the Municipal Company for Innovation, Technological Development, Digital Transformation and Entrepreneurship. You can learn more about Las Rozas de Madrid by clicking here.
This event is being produced in collaboration with the city of Las Rozas de Madrid and Las Rozas Innova.
Theme: From Smart to Intelligent: Learn how to take your city, town or region from Smart City to Intelligent Community
Every Intelligent Community we have seen is a Smart City. That is, it invests in information and communications technology (ICT) to deliver services, monitor operations and rejigger failing systems. That is good news for taxpayers, businesses and institutions.
Not every Smart City, however, is an Intelligent Community. While Smart City technologies make cities work better, Intelligent Community strategies create better cities, where people and organizations thrive and prosper in the global broadband economy.
Intelligent Communities make sure they have the broadband and IT infrastructure they need to be competitive. But they know it is only a means to an end. More of their energy goes into developing a workforce able to do knowledge work. More effort goes into crafting an innovation ecosystem where business, government and institutional partners create high-quality employment and meet social needs. More emphasis is placed on expanding access to digital skills and technology for those otherwise left out. More work goes into engaging citizens as advocates for progress.
ICF is thrilled to bring the 2025 Top7 Conference and Announcement to Las Rozas de Madrid, a leading Intelligent Community in Spain. This year’s conference will delve into the transformative journey from Smart to Intelligent, exploring how cities can go beyond technology to create inclusive, innovative, and sustainable communities. We look forward to welcoming you to Las Rozas to share insights, foster connections, and celebrate the achievements of communities that exemplify what it means to thrive in the digital economy. See you there!
Event Highlight: Honoring the Top7 Communities of 2025
On the evening of 17 June there will be an exclusive Awards Banquet Dinner where ICF will announce the 2025 Top7 Intelligent Communities of the Year, the finalists in ICF's nearly year-long evaluation that analyzes hundreds of cities and regions around the world. One of these Top7 will go on to be named the world's most Intelligent Community of the Year in October.
Standard Registration for the 2025 Top7 Conference & Announcement includes guaranteed access to the 17 June Plenary, with content including panel discussions, keynote addresses, networking opportunities and more.
You may also request to join the following exclusive, limited events:
- The Welcome Reception on the evening of 16 June
- The prestigious Top7 Awards Dinner on the evening of 17 June*
- The Las Rozas City Tour on 18 June
Once we receive your registration, we will reach out to you to confirm which events you are approved to attend. You may guarantee your attendance at the Top7 Awards Dinner by purchasing a ticket at any time.
Welcome Reception (16 June): Las Rozas Village
Location Address: C. Juan Ramón Jiménez, 3, 28232 Las Rozas de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
The Top7 Conference will begin on the evening of June 16 with the Welcome Reception event, taking place at Las Rozas Village, a world-renowned shopping destination with over 100 boutiques offering significant discounts. Las Rozas Village attracts over 4 million visitors per year, many traveling internationally to visit.
For those driving to the reception, Las Rozas Village offers free parking. Guests staying at the official conference hotel, the Gran Hotel Attica21, can take a shuttle bus to Las Rozas Village. The shuttle bus departure time will be confirmed soon.
17:00: Guest Arrival
Registrants for the Welcome Reception are encouraged to arrive between 17:00 and 17:30 to stroll around and do some shopping, if they wish. To make their experience easier, Las Rozas Village has a Hands-Free Shopping service that they are offering to our guests so they do not have to carry bags after the Reception.
19:00: Reception (El Mirador Terrace)
Welcome Reception attendees will head to the El Mirador Terrace at 19:00, where cocktail hors d'oeuvres will be provided by the excellent Joselito Restaurant. Guests of this exclusive event will be able to network and meet each other until the Reception program begins at 19:30. The Reception will conclude at approximately 21:00, and a shuttle bus will be available to take those guests back to the Gran Hotel Attica21.
Speakers for the Top7 Reception include:
- Esteban Liang, Business Director Las Rozas Village
- Lou Zacharilla, Co-Founder, Intelligent Community Forum
ICF thanks Las Rozas Village for hosting the Welcome Reception.
Note: Confirmed Registration is required for the Welcome Reception. This invite-only evening reception will welcome VIPs and international delegates to Las Rozas on the evening of 16 June. When registering for the conference, you may express interest in attending to be added to the waiting list. ICF will reach out to you to confirm your registration.
The view from a terrace at Las Rozas Village (Photo Credit: Matthew Owen)
Plenary (17 June): Hub 232 Las Rozas
Location Address: C. Kálamos, 32, 28232 Las Rozas de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
8:30 - 9:30 - Registration and Networking
9:30 - 9:45 - Welcome
9:45 - 10:00 - Opening Address: The Journey from Smart to Intelligent
- Lou Zacharilla, Co-Founder, Intelligent Community Forum
10:00 - 10:15 - Morning Keynote
- To be announced
10:20 - 11:00 - Panel 1: Smart Leadership - Mayor's Roundtable
This panel brings together mayors from around the world to share how they are leading their cities through rapid change. The discussion will focus on the challenges and opportunities of governing in an era where technology is reshaping communities into smart and intelligent cities.
Speakers include:
- Álvaro Castillo, Mayor, Ibarra City Council, Ecuador
- Ricardo Rio, Mayor of Braga, Portugal
- Diego Uceda, Mayor, La Molina City Council, Peru
- Jose de la Uz, Mayor of Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)
11:05 - 11:45 - Panel 2: Smart Government - Privacy and Security
This session explores how governments are addressing the tension between maintaining public safety and protecting individual privacy. Panelists will discuss the implementation of smart technologies like traffic systems, surveillance cameras, and environmental sensors, and how to ensure transparency, accountability, and public trust.
Speakers include:
- Inés Bermejo, Directora General HP Iberia Iberia
- Alejandro de las Heras, CEO of the Cybersecurity Agency of the Madrid Region
- Jaime de Jaraiz, CEO, LG Electronics Spain
- Tony Olivo, CEO, Babel
- Juan Parra, Managing Director, Europe Market, DXC Technology
- Paco Salcedo, President, Microsoft Spain
- Gustavo Rico, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for the Digital Office, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)
11:45 - 12:00 - Coffee Break and Networking
12:05 - 12:45 - Panel 3: Smart Environment - Leveraging Technologies and Sustainable Cities
This panel looks at how cities can use technology to meet environmental goals and move toward NetZero. Topics include energy-efficient infrastructure, waste reduction, air quality monitoring, and the role of data in managing environmental impact.
Speakers include:
- Cristina Roca Álamo, Local Government for sustainability, ICLEI
- Javier Peña, General Coordinator, RECI
- Sergio Serna, Resp. Secretaría técnica, INNPULSO
- Carlos Marti, Content Director, Foro de las ciudades
- Jaime Santamarta, Concejal de Medioambiente y servicios a la ciudad, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain
12:50 - 13:30 - Panel 4: Smart People - Entrepreneurship and Skills
This session focuses on how cities can develop a skilled workforce ready for the digital economy. Panelists will discuss strategies for supporting lifelong learning, digital training, and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on inclusion and access for all community members.
Speakers include:
- Irene Correas Sosa, General Director of Self-Employed Workers and Entrepreneurship, Madrid
- Antonio Pizarro, Head of Public Sector, LinkedIn
- Virginia Lozano, Directora de Talento, Telefónica España
- Idoia Ortiz de Artiñano, CEO, GOBE
- Alba Monteiro, Concejal de Economía, Innovación y Empleo, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)
13:30 - 14:30 - Lunch Break and Networking
14:30 - 14:45 - Afternoon Keynote - The Innovation Diet: A Little Regulation for Healthier Growth
In an age where our attention is monetised, our data exploited, and our metrics obsessed with speed over quality, we’re long overdue for a more balanced approach to innovation. This talk explores what happens when tech grows wild without boundaries—and how thoughtful regulation can serve not as a brake, but as a nutritional plan for healthier, more human-centred progress. We'll look at why governments have always shaped markets (even if we forgot), why AI doesn’t need to mimic us to be useful, and how challenging assumptions might just be the most innovative thing we can do. It's not about stifling creativity—it’s about asking: What are we actually trying to build, and who benefits?
- Gretel Schaj, Iberia Lead - Senior Expert in Governance and Urban Innovation, BABLE Smart Cities
14:50 - 15:20 - Panel 5: AI for Safe and Efficient Urban Mobility
This panel explores how artificial intelligence is being applied to improve transportation systems in cities. Topics include using AI to support traffic research, real-time traffic flow optimization, emergency response coordination, and reducing congestion through smarter roadway management.
Speakers include:
- David Albertín, President and General Director, Signify Spain
- José Manuel Rocamora Cabello, SSAA-SAFE-FM Public Area Delegate, Serveo
- Lorenzo Palomo, CEO, Viarium
- Francisco Verderas Trejo, General Secretary of ASLAN and Foudner of the EnerTIC Platform
- Jose Cabrera, Second Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Infrastructure and Public Works, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)
15:20 - 15:50 - Coffee Break and Networking
15:00 - 16:30 - Panel 6: European Funding Management Board
Speakers include:
- Chus Escobar, Head of Public Sector and Financial Accounting Advisory Services, EY
- Julio Lumbreras, Board of the European Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, UPM
- Alicia Martinez Monteserin, Specialist in the International Funds Department, CDTI
- Cristina Álvarez, CEO, Las Rozas Innova (Moderator)
18:00 - 18:30 - Closing Remarks
17 June Evening Event 19:30 - 21:30: Global Top7 Announcement Dinner
The Top7 Announcement Dinner is a highlight of the conference, where ICF will announce the Top7 Communities of 2025: finalists in the annual intelligent community of the year
This event is being produced in collaboration with Las Rozas Innova and Las Rozas de Madrid.
