Nordic Edge Expo is a unique meeting place for decision-makers, technology enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, start-ups and investors with smart city ambitions. Here, the public sector meets private businesses and organizations to share experiences, discuss challenges and present solutions. 

The 7th edition of Nordic Edge Expo & Conference, the leading Smart City event in the Nordics, will be a hybrid version in 2021. 

While “It’s Tomorrow” is the theme and red thread of this year’s conference programme, topics such as Come Clean, On the Move, Spaces and Places and Life Actually will be addressed by speakers and panelists in the four–day conference programme. Each day will also have 6 exclusive workshops linked to the topics. The Nordic Edge Expo & Conference will dive into the challenges of today and tomorrow; and will be discusses showcase best-practice solutions, and find new collaborations.

In addition, there will be side events with KnowHow EdTech, Nordic eSport, City Centre Conference hosted by Norwegian Cities Association, Gründer Academy, Youth Achievement and a Smart City Symposium Research Day.  

The mission of the 7th edition of Nordic Edge Expo & Conference is to deliver the most valuable Smart City meeting place in the Nordics. Together with the partners from the private sector, public sector, academia and start-up community the Nordic Edge will work hard to bring people together and deliver an insightful event.

We are living in bold and incredible times. In one year, mountains have been moved to design and manufacture vaccines against COVID-19. How can the pandemic mindset be applied to a more looming threat: climate change?

Our goal during these two days is to explore the future of cities in the face of climate urgency and fair social and ecological transitions. The future is already here, embedded in innovative projects and initiatives. We don’t bet only on long-term visions but focus on practical and promising innovations that shape the future of cities.

The global online and local event is a joint event of four H2020 Lighthouse smart city projects that comprises the Final event of Smarter Together joined by its 2016 sister projects – Replicate, Sharing Cities and SmartEnCity and presenting their recommendations. Following streaming from local studios in Lyon, London, San Sebastian and Sonderborg the global online audience is going to participate in the activities and the role of the SCALE Secretariat. The SCC-LG family, cities, stakeholders, industry partners, researchers and beyond are all welcome to join in all sessions.

Main sessions

The event is a two day event with an ambitious agenda that is composed of several key sessions. 

We will kickstart the two days with the Final event of Smarter Together.

The Joint event will present high-level political representatives from cities of the “Four” 2016 Smart Cities projects who will focus on What comes next for cities? Desirable futures and climate neutrality. 

To deepen the debate, each project will broadcast live from a local studio : 

• Smarter Together Studio based in Lyon
• Replicate Studio based in San Sebastián 
• Sharing Cities Studio based in London
• SmartEnCity Studio based in Sonderborg 

Each will look at one of the four themes that will make the future of cities:

• The future of Energy Communities
• Investment, accessing finance, and scaling-up
• The Roadmap2025-project
• Smart districts

With the help of a panel of experts, the ”Four” will use the business, organisational and technological models to reach their desirable futures. 

The European Commission SCALE initiative will present its portfolio of activities to foster replication and scaling up of smart solutions as well as to create sustainable communities of cities and practitioners.

We will close with the SCALE Secretariat hosting a number of sessions on upcoming topics of Call for Experts & Peer-to-peer learnings, City Coordinators Group, Roadshow, Smart City Brand and a meeting of the Board of Coordinators as well parallel individual sessions for each Task Group.