Urban Technology Alliance (UTA) is an international non-profit alliance that connects cities, companies, research institutions, universities, non-profit organizations, and other stakeholders involved in smart cities. UTA promotes technology demonstrations, evaluation, and knowledge sharing in real urban environments. Before smart city solutions are scaled up, UTA places strong emphasis on testing them in real-world settings from technical, economic, and social perspectives, thereby supporting sustainable digital transformation in cities.
Since its establishment in 2018, the landscape surrounding smart cities has changed significantly. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted cities to redesign urban functions and public services; the response to climate change has become increasingly urgent; emerging technologies, including generative AI, have advanced rapidly; and the international situation has become more unstable. As a result, the challenges facing cities are becoming more complex and cross-cutting. In this context, international collaboration is more important than ever for sharing urban challenges and advancing demonstration, implementation, and policymaking across countries and regions.
From January 2026, Japanese institutions will be able to apply to Horizon Europe calls, greatly expanding opportunities to lead and participate in joint research and innovation projects with European partners. Japan’s participation in Horizon Europe is expected to focus particularly on Pillar II multi-country collaborative projects addressing societal challenges, including digital transformation, climate-neutral energy, and food security.
Against this backdrop of renewed momentum for collaboration, UTA will host the UTA-Japan Webinar Series as a three-part online program to connect smart city stakeholders in Europe and Japan.
This webinar series will introduce UTA’s mission and latest initiatives, the latest trends in smart city policies and projects in Europe, and the specific activities of European and Japanese members participating in UTA. For cities, research institutions, companies, startups, public-sector organizations, and others interested in smart city implementation, international joint research, urban data use, digital twins, AI, and climate action, the series will provide a valuable opportunity to explore future collaboration.
Event Overview
Format
Online
Schedule
- Session 1: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 16:00-17:30 JST / 9:00-10:30 CEST
- Session 2: Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 16:00-17:30 JST / 9:00-10:30 CEST
- Session 3: Thursday, October 8, 2026, 16:00-17:30 JST / 9:00-10:30 CEST
Language
Japanese / English
* Real-time translation will be provided.
Registration is Open Now
Please register here: https://forms.gle/4G1fvcgfw3RBBVEv7
(Details for the online venue for each session will be sent at a later date.)
Speakers for the First Webinar
Session 1: Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 16:00-17:30 JST / 9:00-10:30 CEST
In the first session, UTA leadership members, together with speakers from European cities and companies as well as Japanese companies and research institutions, will introduce UTA’s initiatives, the current state of European smart city practice, and opportunities for collaboration with Japan.
Speakers
- Dr. Levent Gürgen
Urban Technology Alliance, President - Dr. Rodger Lea
Urban Technology Alliance, Technical Director - Laurent Deslattes
Grenoble City - Gaetano Volpe
Latitudo 40 - Dr. Masahiro Mochizuki
JRISS - Dr. Takuro Yonezawa
Nagoya University
Main Topics
This series will cover topics such as:
- Introduction to UTA and its latest initiatives
- Latest trends in European smart city policies and projects
- New opportunities for collaboration with Europe, including Horizon Europe
- Activities of UTA members in Europe and Japan
- Demonstration cases using urban data, AI, digital twins, climate change response, and solutions to social challenges
- Future collaboration opportunities among municipalities, companies, and research institutions in Japan and Europe
Recommended for
- Those interested in smart cities, urban digital transformation (DX), digital twins, AI, and urban data utilization
- Those interested in European smart city policies and Horizon Europe
- Municipal, research, university, corporate, and startup professionals working to solve urban challenges
- Those interested in international joint research and demonstration projects between Japan and Europe
- Those interested in UTA’s activities and international network
Message from the UTA President
The challenges facing cities can no longer be solved by a single city or a single country alone. Climate change, aging populations and declining birthrates, social isolation, disaster response, energy, mobility, data governance, and the use of AI are interconnected urban issues that require international knowledge and implementation capacity. The UTA-Japan Webinar Series will serve as a forum for smart city stakeholders in Europe and Japan to share their experiences and connect demonstration to implementation and research to social deployment. We look forward to your participation.
Levent Gürgen