The Smart City Sandbox of Valencia provides Finnish companies with a unique, cost-free testbed in Southern Europe to scale and validate smart city solutions in real-life conditions.
With streamlined processes, no pilot fees, and strong political support, the Sandbox is an exceptional gateway to the Spanish and EU markets. This webinar is designed to help Finnish innovators understand how they can leverage this living lab for growth, visibility, and international R&D collaboration.
Representatives from the Sandbox will present its concept, main focus areas, and current urban challenges. The session will highlight how Finnish companies can test and showcase their innovative solutions in a real urban environment, supported by the City of Valencia. There will also be time for questions and answers to engage directly with the Sandbox team.
To whom
- Finnish startups, SMEs, and corporations developing smart city solutions
- Companies active in fields such as urban mobility, energy, environment, circular economy, water management, digital services, AI, citizen engagement, and sustainable construction
- Innovation hubs, R&D organisations, and stakeholders interested in piloting and scaling technology in international urban environments.
Agenda
Moderator: Daria Mashkina, Business Finland in Spain
14.00 Opening and welcome words by Paula Llobet, Counsellor for Tourism, Innovation, Technology, Digital Agenda, and Investment Promotion at the Valencia City Council
14.05 Greeting by Anna-Maria Salomaa, Counsellor for Political and Economic Affairs, Embassy of Finland in Spain
14.10 Presentation of the Sandbox - regulatory framework, available resources & other support tools, mindset & change management by Fermín Cerezo, Head of Innovation at the City of Valencia
14.25 How to seize the opportunity: support process for companies from VIC and examples of pilot projects carried out, use cases by Gema Roig, R&D+I officer at Valencia Innovation Capital
14.40 Creating synergies: upcoming Smart City events in Valencia and Barcelona 2025 by Daria Mashkina, Business Finland
14.50 Q&A session
