Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT) took part in the 2026 edition of the Portugal Smart Cities Summit, one of the leading events dedicated to the management, innovation, and planning of smart cities and territories. Our participation focused on showcasing its applied research activities, presenting a range of technological solutions developed to address the challenges of urban mobility, autonomous mobility, mission-critical scenarios with 5G, ground and aerial drones, sustainability, and digital transformation.
The overall outcome of the participation was highly positive. The event provided a strategic opportunity to present IT initiatives within the Smart Cities and Territories ecosystem to a broad and diverse audience, including municipalities, companies, startups, academia, and the general public. At our stand, a team of researchers from three research groups across two IT branches (Aveiro and Porto) represented our expertise in the field of mobility. Several real-time functional solutions were demonstrated, attracting the interest of numerous visitors, as well as generating specific requests for solutions and partnerships from various organizations.
Highlight: Portugal Smart Cities Award
As a result of the work carried out, IT was honored as being 1 of the 5 finalists of the 4th edition of the Portugal Smart Cities Award - António Almeida Henriques -, in the Sustainable and Smart Mobility category. This distinction, which honors the legacy of the former mayor and promoter of smart cities in Portugal, recognizes outstanding projects in areas such as carbon neutrality, mobility, social inclusion, and digital transformation. Our proposal was selected among dozens of projects from across the country, validating the quality and relevance of IT applied research in shaping the cities of the future.
The Portugal Smart Cities Summit is the largest national marketplace for solutions within the Smart Cities and Smart Territories ecosystem and, at the same time, the leading discussion forum for everyone seeking to actively participate in urban transformation. Over three days, the Portugal Smart Cities Summit brings together: companies and startups; municipalities and public administration bodies; universities and research centres; collaborative networks and invited experts. The event is divided into four exhibition areas - LIVING, MOVE, ECO, and CONNECT - and three conference stages, while also featuring several initiatives and content co-organised with Event and Industry Partners.
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