The City of Turin, as the European Capital of Innovation 2024-2025, launches Cities Innovate, an innovative online dialogue format aimed at tackling crucial urban innovation topics, with the goal of encouraging the sharing of best practices and presenting replicable innovation models that can be adopted by other cities.
During each meeting, place-based solutions are explored, highlighting their impact on the urban context with the objective of fostering dialogue and identifying effective strategies to address and solve today’s challenges. At the same time, the initiative promotes building collaborative networks among cities to stimulate continuous and lasting innovation.
Cities Innovate is not just a webinar series but aspires to become a real movement, connecting visionary cities and laying the foundations for a smarter, greener, and more inclusive urban future.
Cities Innovate: the format and program
Each episode focuses on a specific theme of innovation, pairing Turin with other leading European cities. Discussions will be moderated by networks of experts to ensure a dynamic exchange of ideas and experiences. The key participants in this dialogue will be experts in urban innovation, innovation leaders, and policymakers who will explore how cities are shaping the future.
The webinar is in English, will last up to 60 minutes, and will take place online on the Remo platform. Please register on Eventbrite to join the event. At the end of each episode, the recording will be made available for on-demand viewing.
The following is an overview of the scheduled episodes and planned topics:
(The agenda is currently being updated)
Episode 1 – April 28th, 2025, 4 PM – 5 PM CET
Cities as Startup Ecosystems for Social Good
An exploration of how cities can nurture innovation ecosystems to address social challenges.
Moderated by: iCapital Network
Watch the recording here.
Episode 2 – May 26th, 2025, 4 PM – 5 PM CET
Tech for Cities – Focus on Urban Air Mobility: Turin meets Cluj-Napoca and Riga
With urban air mobility on the rise, how can cities integrate drones, eVTOLs, and air transport innovations into their mobility systems while ensuring accessibility and sustainability?
Moderated by: UIC2 Civitas Network
Watch the recording here.
Episode 3 – June, 10th, 2025 , 4 PM – 5 PM CET
Empowering Communities Through Innovation: Turin meets Barcelona and Birmingham
A deeper look into urban entrepreneurship and social innovation hubs in Turin, Birmingham and Barcelona, highlighting policies and programs that foster inclusive innovation.
Moderated by: iCapital Network
Watch the recording here.
Episode 4 – June, 20th, 2025, 4 PM – 5 PM CET
City Gateways to Innovation -How Local Ecosystems Empower Startups in a Global Economy: Turin meets Lisbon and London
How cities — through different models and structures — support startups and early-stage businesses in navigating complex innovation ecosystems, with an emphasis on internationalization, public-private collaboration, and impact-driven services.
Moderated by: Eurocities
Watch the recording here.
Episode 5 – July, 1st, 2025, 4 PM – 5 PM CET
Urban Technologies – AI and Ethics.
The rise of AI in urban planning and governance raises ethical and regulatory challenges. This session will explore AI-driven solutions, focusing on transparency, bias mitigation, and responsible AI deployment.
Moderated by: City of Turin
With the partecipation of Urban AI
Watch the recording here.
Episode 6 – July, 15, 2025, 2.30 PM – 3.30 PM CET
Technologies for Cities – CCAM (Connected, Cooperative and Automated Mobility): Turin meets Espoo and Hamburg
The future of Connected, Cooperative & Automated Mobility (CCAM) is shaping cities worldwide. Experts from Turin and Hamburg will discuss CCAM’s impact on traffic flow, safety, and urban mobility ecosystems.
Moderated by: EIT Urban Mobility
Watch the recording here.
Episode 7 – September, 9th, 2025, 4 PM – 5 PM CET
Future cities are zero-emission cities: Turin meets Valencia and Vilnius
Climate neutrality is no longer optional—it’s a necessity. This final session will bring together three leading cities to share their paths toward net-zero emissions, sustainable infrastructure, and climate resilience.
Moderated by: Driving Urban Transition Partnership
Watch the recording here.
Episode 8 – November, 10th, 2025
Living Labs as Innovation Enablers in Europe – Stay tuned!
Additional episodes are currently being defined. The program is open and intends to be enriched with additional meetings, events and collaborations. The series is set to grow through the involvement of new cities, experts and international networks.
All events will be available on Eventbrite.
To stay updated on upcoming episodes, visit Torino City Lab.
