Amsterdam Smart City Week 2026: Highlights and Key Discussions

A Week of Connections

Amsterdam Smart City Week has established itself as one of Europe's most dynamic gatherings for urban innovation practitioners. The 2026 edition, held 13–17 January at various locations across the city, featured over 80 sessions, 200 speakers, and 1,200 participants from 35 countries.

Highlight Sessions

The Future of Urban Mobility

A standing-room-only session explored how cities are moving beyond car-centric design. Amsterdam's own cycling data platform, which uses AI to optimise cycle route planning, was presented alongside Barcelona's autonomous shuttle system and Helsinki's Mobility-as-a-Service integration.

Affordable Smart Housing

One of the week's most passionate debates centred on whether smart home technology makes housing more or less affordable. Panellists from Vienna, Berlin, and London offered contrasting perspectives, with consensus emerging that smart technology can reduce operating costs but risks increasing upfront costs without public subsidy.

Youth and the Smart City

A dedicated youth track gave 50 young urbanists (aged 18–25) the floor to present their visions for future cities. Their emphasis on climate justice, digital rights, and community ownership challenged many of the assumptions held by senior practitioners.

Numbers

1,200 participants from 35 countries

80+ sessions across 12 venues

200 speakers and panellists

50 startup exhibitors

3 Living Lab site visits

"What makes Amsterdam Smart City Week special is that it feels less like a conference and more like a community — everyone here is genuinely committed to making cities work better for people." — Thomas van der Berg

Session recordings and presentation slides are being collected as knowledge resources on the Smart Cities Hub.