Smart cities and energy challenges

Cities play an important role in sustainable development, the fight against climate change, and in the battles against inequality and poverty. Along these lines, the energy transition goes hand-in-hand with urban evolution and plays a fundamental role in the design of cities of the future.

Within this framework, The Repsol Foundation and the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have organized the ""Smart cities and energy challenges"" conference, an online event for promoting impact projects in matters regarding sustainability in the field of smart city urban development.

The conference will kick off with a greeting by António Calçada, executive managing director of the Repsol Foundation, and Víctor Moreno, co-director of the Masters program on Business Legal Advising at the Universidad Carlos III.

The round table on “Urban development and smart energy” will include the participation of Alfonso Vegara, president of Fundación Metrópoli; Martha Thorne, dean of the IE School of Architecture and Design; Joan Clos, president of ASVAL (association for owners of rental homes) and former mayor of Barcelona; Alfonso Gil, president of the Commission on Transportation, Sustainable Mobility, and Road Safety for the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces; Rocío Martínez-Sampere, director of the Felipe González Foundation; and Alejandro Oliva, director of Strategy and Planning at Repsol.

Next, the round table on “Supercities and energy” will include contribution from mayors from some of the biggest Spanish cities, like José Luis Martínez-Almeida (Madrid), Juan Espadas (Sevilla), Juan Mari Aburto (Bilbao) Abel Caballero (Vigo), and Gema Igual (Santander). During this discussion, moderated by journalist Ana Pastor, the mayors will analyze designs for cities of the future with the aim of guaranteeing growth, cohesion, and sustainability.

Finally, Antonio Brufau, chairman of Repsol and Juan Romo, rector at the Universidad Carlos III, will bring the event to a close