What is the Smart Cities International Conference?
The Smart Cities International Conference (SCIC) is a prestigious academic and professional forum committed to fostering open, inclusive, and intellectually rigorous dialogue on the evolving paradigms of smart urban development. Anchored in the vision of advancing both theoretical understanding and practical application of Smart City principles, the SCIC has, since its inception, served as a platform for critical inquiry, interdisciplinary collaboration, and civic-minded innovation.
Emerging from the ambition to stimulate scholarly discourse on the dynamics of urban life, within Romania and in broader international contexts, the conference is founded on a multidisciplinary scientific approach. It examines the complex interplay between technology, governance, infrastructure, and social equity, all viewed through the lens of democratic values and regulatory frameworks that shape contemporary urban societies.
A Multidisciplinary and Multistakeholder Convergence
The SCIC invites participation from a wide spectrum of disciplines within the social sciences, humanities, and applied sciences. Contributors include, but are not limited to, scholars and practitioners from political science, communication studies, legal and medical sciences, European integration, sociology, architecture, economics, computer science, and cybernetics.
Moreover, the conference cultivates a truly multistakeholder environment, bringing together representatives from governmental and intergovernmental bodies, the private sector, academia, civil society, and technical communities. This convergence enables a rich exchange of knowledge, perspectives, and strategies, supporting collaborative solutions to shared urban challenges.
Strategic Objectives and Enduring Values
The core mission of the Smart Cities International Conference is articulated through the following objectives:
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Enhancing awareness of the Smart Cities concept across institutional, professional, and civic domains.
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Building capacity among stakeholders to engage effectively in Smart City initiatives at national, regional, and global levels.
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Promoting multilateral dialogue and information sharing, facilitating policy innovation and research dissemination.
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Bridging diverse urban realities, fostering comparative insight and context-sensitive approaches to Smart City development.
From its inaugural edition, titled “Orașul Inteligent”, held on November 28, 2013, the SCIC has evolved into a globally recognized event, drawing increasing attention from seasoned academics, early-career researchers, and public-sector innovators alike. Each annual gathering builds on this legacy, offering a space where ideas are exchanged, partnerships are formed, and actionable knowledge is co-created.
Now in its 13th anniversary edition, the SCIC continues to thrive as a truly international forum since 2016. It provides a unique venue for comparative analysis, allowing delegates to explore cross-national strategies and innovative policy recommendations in response to the multifaceted challenges facing modern urban environments.
Together, we envision cities that are intelligent not only in infrastructure but also in values, cities that are connected, resilient, inclusive, and sustainably governed.
For further details on past editions and related events, please visit Smart Cities Conference Archives!
As a Novelty
In 2025, the Smart Cities International Conference (SCIC) marks a pivotal moment in its evolution by joining forces with one of Central and Eastern Europe’s most esteemed eGovernment events: the CEEeGov Days. This unprecedented collaboration represents not merely a logistical merger but a profound intellectual synthesis, uniting two distinct but complementary traditions of academic inquiry and applied innovation. This year, we are combining two great conferences into one grand event, designed to catalyze value creation and spark smart ideas through a multidisciplinary and cross-border exchange of perspectives.
Hosted under the auspices of the Austrian Computer Society (OCG), the CEEeGov Days 2025 have consistently served as a premier platform for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers dedicated to exploring the digital transformation of public administration. With a focus on Central and Eastern Europe, CEEeGov has cultivated a critical space for empirical research, comparative analysis, and visionary policy discussion. The event is well known for its emphasis on pragmatic solutions, public sector innovation, and the future of governance in a data-driven world.
The joint conference in 2025 will thus offer a singular venue for multidimensional dialogue, bringing together urbanists, technologists, public managers, legal scholars, and civic entrepreneurs under a shared commitment to reimagining governance through smart technologies. Participants will benefit from the synergies between Smart City conceptual frameworks and eGovernment implementation strategies, fostering insights that are both visionary and grounded in regional realities.
By embracing this dual heritage, we reaffirm our commitment to scholarly excellence and policy relevance, offering a dynamic platform where the future of digital governance meets the smart city agenda in an integrated, European, and global context.