November 4-6, 2025 | Fira Gran Via, Barcelona
CIMNE’s Stand: Hall 3, D50
Tomorrow Mobility: Hall 3, S53
The International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE) features innovative simulation and smart solutions in this year’s edition of the Smart City Expo World Congress, the world leading event in urban innovation and sustainability. The event, held in Barcelona from November 4 to 6, will showcase some of CIMNE’s cutting-edge solutions in urban mobility, green and collaborative energy, and coastal erosion prevention, alongside advanced modelling tools powered by digital twins and artificial intelligence for building resilience into tomorrow’s cities.
Advanced Modelling for a Sustainable Future
CIMNE experts deliver cutting-edge capabilities in Digital Twins and Complex Modelling technologies. In a cross-cutting effort, our experts combine high-fidelity physics-based simulations with data-driven analytics to create digital replicas of complex systems that enable decision-makers at local, regional, and international levels to better understand climate risks, optimize resource management, and design resilient infrastructure for a changing world.
The centre’s comprehensive modelling solutions integrate diverse data sources—from satellite observations to real-time monitoring networks—to provide unprecedented insights into environmental processes, energy systems, urban dynamics, and coastal evolution.
These platforms transform raw data into actionable knowledge, empowering policymakers and communities to make evidence-based decisions that protect both ecosystems and human welfare.
Specific solutions derived from these technologies include CIMNE’s PIKSEL Project for the Catalan Government (Joan Roget Knowledge Transfer Prize), and two use cases within Europe’s Destination Earth programme, an ambitious initiative to develop a high-fidelity digital model of the Earth to prevent and tackle extreme weather phenomena.
Inflatable Breakwaters for Coastal and River Protection
CIMNE showcases innovative inflatable breakwater technology designed to protect coastal and river communities from erosion and flood events. This adaptable and sustainable solution represents a paradigm shift in coastal defence, offering flexible protection strategies that can be deployed rapidly to safeguard vulnerable communities and critical infrastructure from increasing marine hazards.
FLUMEN Institute: River Dynamics and Hydrogeologic Engineering
FLUMEN is a joint CIMNE-UPC initiative, part of CIMNE’s Machine Learning and Models in Hydro-Environmental Engineering research cluster, dedicated to river dynamics and hydrologic engineering. Our experts combine numerical simulations with experimental testing to advance understanding of flood risk and urban water management. Recent highlights include:
- experimental flood tests on a replica of Paral·lel metro station stairs in Barcelona,
- comprehensive urban flood risk analysis for people and infrastructure,
- optimization of bike lane drainage systems, and
- development of decision support tools and numerical models for risk assessment and management of floods.
FLUMEN is uniquely positioned to combine advanced numerical simulation with physical testing in our real-scale lab or macrofluidics and river dynamics. This encompassing approach enables cities to better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of extreme weather events.
Innovation Unit in Transport (CENIT)
CENIT brings a scientific perspective to the challenges facing daily operations of transportation systems, logistic chains, and mobility planning. By integrating advanced modelling, data analytics, and optimization techniques, CENIT supports cities in designing efficient, sustainable, and resilient mobility solutions that enhance quality of life while reducing environmental impact.
Our Innovation Unit in Transport brings a breath of expertise in:
- Transport Economics
- Sustainable Urban Mobility
- Ports and Maritime Transport
- Logistics and Urban Freight
Meet the CENIT team at the SMEWC:
Wednesday 5th, 12:20
Clara Soler will moderate a panel on Partnerships Driving Smart City Innovation, sharing real-world lessons from leading smart city initiatives.
📍Tech X Cities (Hall 3, stage 8)
Wednesday 5th, 13:30
Paco Gasparín will present the PULSO project, a finalist in this year’s Innova Lab Mobility Challenge, about the detection and mitigation of acoustic signals and optimization of Urban Freight Distribution.
📍Tomorrow Mobility Innovation Playground
Thursday 6th, 9:45
Evgenii Pronin will will share insights from our Electric Bus Project in Bali, a foundation for the implementation planning of e-buses and charging stations, to be carried out by GGGI in Bali.
📍Catalonia Stand (Hall 3, D50)
Innovation Unit in Building, Energy, and the Environment (BEEGroup)
BEEGroup pioneers digital and sustainable solutions for buildings and cities, harnessing big data, AI, and smart technologies to enhance energy efficiency and empower users. The unit presents three integrated tools that represent the future of urban energy management:
BEEMind is an integrated intelligence solution that allows cities to process, visualize, and optimize vast urban data at building level to optimize energy consumption. It supports climate resilience, energy planning, and strategic decision-making through scalable AI-driven models, enabling municipalities to transition toward carbon neutrality while building adaptive capacity.
MindCity, part of the BEEMind platform and specifically designed for local corporations, integrates massive amounts of data to enable smart, informed, and effective public policies on energy, building rehabilitation, and climate resilience. This tool empowers urban planners and administrators to make data-driven decisions that transform cities into sustainable, livable spaces.
MindOpera, also part of BEEMind, is a scalable and tailored solution for building managers to seamlessly integrate and analyse large and heterogeneous real-time data on building operation and energy use. MindOpera connects with a wide variety of legacy management systems, using AI-powered models to optimize facility operations, anticipate incidents, and improve energy efficiency, comfort, and building resilience.
CELINE: Digitalizing the Future of the European Electricity Market through Energy Communities
CIMNE’s Innovation Unit in Building, Energy, and the Environment (BEE Group) will showcase the advances of the CELINE European Project in Barcelona. This initiative, which aims to digitalize the future of the continental electricity market through energy communities, celebrated its latest consortium meeting in Vienna on October 22 and 23. Partners from across Europe are joining forces to develop innovative digital solutions to enhance citizen participation, energy flexibility, and the efficient use of renewable resources in Europe. Through a Digital Toolbox, CELINE partners are offering European consumers a set of comprehensive tools to optimize their energy consumption. The potential of CELINE is being tested across three demo sites in Europe, in València (Spain), Lappeenranta (Finland), and the Italian Alps.
Meet the BEEGroup team at the SMEWC:
Tuesday 4th
José Manuel Broto will take part in the Red URBAN MOME workshop on efficient urban environments: Hacia los entornos URBANos eficientes mediante el MOdelado, la MEdida, y el control en el entorno construido.
📍URBAN MOME
Innovation Unit in Pre, Post, and Digital Technologies (DIGIT)
CIMNE’s DIGIT unit will present novel solutions combining digital innovation with real-world impact:
RuralMed Mobility addresses the unique transportation challenges faced by rural and remote communities, designing flexible, sustainable mobility solutions that connect underserved populations with essential services and economic opportunities.
LAIF: AI to Prevent Drownings at Sea. LAIF is CIMNE’s answer, together with Pro-Activa, to the challenge of silent drownings at sea. It uses advanced artificial intelligence and real-time monitoring to detect and prevent such incidents in coastal and marine environments.
Experts from CIMNE’s Innovation Units and Research Clusters will join Technology Transfer specialists at the Smart City Expo World Congress 2025 in Barcelona to showcase these and other innovations. The centre’s experts will be available to discuss how these solutions can address particular needs of the Transportation, Clean Energy, and Urban Planning industry, and can be contacted at techtransfer@cimne.upc.edu
