Bio
Esteve Almirall serves as a Full Professor at Esade and Dtr. of the Center for Innovation in Cities. He has lectured in several universities, including Purdue, Berkeley, UPF, UPC, and EPFL. With mixed background in Management Science and AI, he is passionate about the intersection between Digital Technologies and Innovation, particularly in Smart Cities, where he has been involved for more than a decade with Smart City Expo, the World Bank, and many European Projects. His research has been published in major scientific journals such as AMR, MISQ, AMP, Business Horizons, CACM, CMR, and GIQ, and he is also a frequent press contributor and speaker—@ealmirall.

Bio
Prof. Dr. Igor Calzada, MBA, FeRSA, is an accredited Full Professor in Interdisciplinary AI Economics, Social Sciences and Humanities, and an Established Researcher (R3). He is Principal Investigator in the Public Policy Department, University of the Basque Country (EHU), an Ikerbasque Scholar, and affiliated with Cardiff University/WISERD. Since 2022, he has been a Fulbright Scholar in California, collaborating with the Decentralization Research Center (Canada). He has previously (2012–2022) served as Senior Scientist at the University of Oxford (ESRC Future of Cities, Urban Transformations), the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, and UN-Habitat, and has held positions in 14 universities (UK, USA, Belgium, Italy, Spain). Prior to this (2002–2011), he worked at Mondragon Cooperatives and as Director of Innovation and Technology in the Basque Government. His research examines AI Economics and Innovation Systems. Google Scholar: ~5350 citations; h-index 33; i10-index 70. Forthcoming books: Springer Nature (2025), Edward Elgar (2026), Routledge (2026).

Bio
Dr. Antonio J. Jara is Chief Scientific Officer at Libelium and Technical Director of the EU Local Digital Twin Toolbox. He has introduced FIWARE and data-driven digital-twin technologies in over 50 cities worldwide, leading EU projects in sustainability, AI, and smart-city innovation. Antonio chairs the IEEE P2510 standard for data quality and serves on editorial boards of several MDPI journals, including Sensors and Smart Cities. His research and innovation focus on environmental intelligence, trustworthy AI, and interoperable data spaces. Recognized as a FIWARE Foundation Board Member and GAIA-X Spain expert, he actively contributes to advancing European initiatives linking IoT, AI, and data governance for resilient and sustainable communities.

Bio
Prof. Filipe Moura is an Associate Professor of Transportation Systems and Urban Mobility at Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, and a Fulbright Scholar. He leads the U-Shift–Urban Mobility Lab, dedicated to changing urban mobility behavior through data-driven, people-centered approaches. His research bridges the fields of transport engineering, behavioral sciences, and urban design to foster more inclusive and sustainable cities. Moura actively works with local authorities on micromobility data collection and the planning of active travel networks and he also has experience in the development Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP). His work combines quantitative modeling, perception studies, and participatory planning to support decision-making in smart urban systems. Moura has coordinated and contributed to multiple European research projects and serves as an expert within the EIT Urban Mobility network. His publications appear in leading journals such as Transportation Research Part D, Cities, and Journal of Urban Mobility.

Bio
Dr. Vasiliki Assimakopoulos, is a Civil and Environmental Engineer (MEng. 1997) with a PhD in Urban Air Quality and Environmental Modelling (2001, Imperial College, University of London, UK). Her research is focused on the following subjects: 1. Development of anthropogenic and biogenic emission inventory at national and local level (Subnational/City Scale); 2. Application of photochemical modeling system over urban, national, and regional areas for the study of physicochemical processes and for the evaluation of parameters that determine air quality; 3. Targeted monitoring studies of the air quality and wind flow patterns in scaled city models, as well as in indoor and outdoor urban environments using specialized and state-of-the-art equipment; 4. Application of micro-scale models for the study of the characteristics of dispersion of pollutants emitted in the urban environment; 5. Integrated study of the (total) personal exposure to pollutants in urban environments; 6. Promotion of practices for environmental protection, health and climate change mitigation to the public and stakeholders. She has worked on more than 25 national and European research projects as a coordinator or experienced researcher, as well as having coordinated or participated in more than 25 EU- and nationally funded projects. She has published more than 120 papers in international peer-reviewed journals and conferences, with her work having received more than 2000 hetero-citations (h-index: 21).

Bio
Dr. Sara Shirowzhan is a senior lecturer at The University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, Australia and serves as the co-convener of the Smart Cities and Infrastructure Cluster in the School of Built Environment (BE) at UNSW. Shirowzhan’s areas of research in technologies relevant to the built environment include advanced GIS, nD BIM, sensing technologies, digital twins, and artificial intelligence for applications in sustainable and resilient cities (SDG11), smart cities, infrastructure, urban strategy development, and construction. She is currently serving as an Editorial Board member for Nature/Scientific Reports, Sustainability (MDPI), and Buildings (MDPI) journals, all Q1. She is also one of the recipients of the 2023 Outstanding Paper Award from the International Society for Digital Earth, in collaboration with Taylor & Francis and the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals.

Bio
Dr. Vinoj Velu is an Associate Professor at the School of Earth, Ocean, and Climate Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bhubaneswar. An accomplished atmospheric and climate scientist, Dr. Vinoj is committed to advancing the understanding of complex environmental interactions. His research primarily focuses on the impact of urbanization and atmospheric aerosols on climate systems, with particular emphasis on the Indian Monsoon. Employing an integrative methodology, his work encompasses ground-based observations, satellite remote sensing, and advanced modeling across diverse spatial and temporal scales. This comprehensive approach enables critical insights into phenomena such as urban heat islands and air quality variations in rapidly urbanizing regions. Dr. Vinoj's research holds significant practical relevance in guiding the development of sustainable, climate-resilient urban environments. He also serves as the Nodal Faculty for the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) for the city of Bhubaneswar and Angul in the state of Odisha, contributing actively to policy and implementation strategies for improved urban air quality.