Plenary (17 June): Hub 232 Las Rozas

Location Address: C. Kálamos, 32, 28232 Las Rozas de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Dress Code: Business Casual

8:30 - 9:30 - Registration and Networking

9:30 - 9:45 - Welcome

• Jose de la Uz, Mayor of Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain

9:45 - 10:00 - Opening Address: The Journey from Smart to Intelligent

• Lou Zacharilla, Co-Founder, Intelligent Community Forum

10:00 - 10:45 - Panel 1: Smart Leadership 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  
• Dario Paixão, Presidente, Agência Curitiba de Desenvolvimento e Inovação SA
• Bryan Paterson, Mayor, City of Kingston, Ontario, Canada
• Diego Uceda, Mayor, La Molina City Council, Peru
• Jose de la Uz, Mayor of Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)

                 

10:50 - 11:05 - Morning Keynote - Google

A representative from Google will be speaking about AI and local government applications. More information will come soon.

• Gonzalo Romero, Head of Education, Iberia, Google

11:05 - 11:30 - Coffee Break and Networking

11:30 - 12:30 - 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, General Manager, HP Iberia Iberia
• Alejandro 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)

                             

 

12:30 - 13:30 - 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
• Ya-Chen Deng, Division Chief of the Environmental Protection Bureau, Yunlin County, Taiwan
• Javier Peña, General Coordinator, RECI
• Sergio Serna, Head of the Technical Secretariat, INNPULSO
• Carlos Marti, Content Director, Foro de las ciudades IFEMA
• Jaime Santamarta, Councillor for Environment and City Services, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)

                        

12:30 - 13:30 - Parallel Session: The Funding Roadmap: From Frustration to Financing

Learn how cities can move from reactive, last-minute funding to building a strategic, long-term roadmap. Through expert tips and real-life stories, this session explains how to avoid common pitfalls and start attracting funding with confidence.

Speakers include:

• Cristina Álvarez, CEO, Las Rozas Innova
• José Luis Moreno Casas, General Director, Presidency and Economy, Municipality of Pozuelo
• Gretel Schaj, Iberia Lead - Senior Expert in Governance and Urban Innovation, BABLE Smart Cities (Moderator)

         

13:30 - 14:30 - Lunch Break and Networking

14:30- 15:20 - 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:

• Telva Arroyo, VP Global Human Resources, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• Irene Correas Sosa, General Director of Self-Employed Workers and Entrepreneurship, Madrid
• Virginia Lozano, Director of Talent Acquisition, Telefónica España
• Idoia Ortiz de Artiñano, CEO, GOBE
• Antonio Pizarro, Head of Public Sector, LinkedIn
• Alba Monteiro Gil, City Councillor for Economy, Innovation and Employment, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)

                         

15:20 - 15:35 - 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

15:35 - 16:15 - Panel 5: AI for Efficient and Safe Urban Mobility and Energy Management

This panel explores how artificial intelligence is being applied not only to improve transportation systems in cities, but also to enhance urban energy management. Topics include AI-supported traffic research, real-time traffic flow optimization, emergency response coordination, and reducing congestion through smarter roadway management. Additionally, the session will address the growing role of AI in managing the energy demands of electric mobility, optimizing charging infrastructure, and integrating smart grids into future urban planning.

Speakers include:

• David Albertín, President and General Director, Signify Spain
• José Mª Muñoz Povedano, Senior Manager of Engineering and Energy, SERVEO
• Lorenzo Palomo, CEO, Viarium
• Alberto Retana, Director of Institutional Relations and Governance, EnerTIC
• Jose Cabrera, Second Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Infrastructure and Public Works, Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain (Moderator)

                  

15:35 - 16:15 - Parallel Session: Building an Innovation Ecosystem

Featuring three Smart21 Communities of 2025, this session will explore how communities can foster innovation at the local government level.

Speakers include:

• Ronald Otten, Independent Strategy Consultant, Otten+; Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands
• Maurice Olivers, Public Relations Manager, Brightlands Circular Space; Brightlands-Limburg, Netherlands
• Nancy Richison, Principle, Nancy Richison Communications Consulting; Hilliard, Ohio, USA
• Rob Tamblyn, Business Development Manager, Kingston Economic Development Corporation; Kingston, Ontario, Canada
• Angela Zody, Downtown Manager, City of Hilliard, Ohio, USA
• Matthew Owen, Executive Director, Intelligent Community Forum (Moderator)

                         

16:15 - 16:30 - Coffee Break

16:30 - 17:15 - 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
• Alberto Silleras de Antonio, Madrid Director, TECNALIA
• Cristina Álvarez, CEO, Las Rozas Innova (Moderator)

                    

17:15 - 17:30 - Closing Remarks

• Daniel Rodriguez Asensio, Vice-Minister of Economy and Employment of the Madrid Regional Government

 

This event is being produced in collaboration with Las Rozas Innova and Las Rozas de Madrid.