Unlocking Finance for Smart Resilient Cities
27 June 14:00 - 15:45
Location: Sala Multiusos
This workshop aims to empower city leaders and stakeholders with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively finance innovative and resilient initiatives within their communities. The interactive session will explore the financial landscape of climate action initiatives, delve into innovative strategies for enhancing the bankability and reducing the risk of smart city projects, and provide practical insights for securing funding for sustainable urban development.
The workshop will:
- Provide an overview of how cities optimise smart solutions to address resilience challenges and work towards climate neutrality,
- Introduce the mission and services of the EU Smart Cities Marketplace, demonstrate a successful example of cities embracing smart technologies and/or engaged with the SCM Matchmaking services, and present opportunities form a banking perspective,
- Provide a forum for facilitated discussions on the challenges and opportunities of developing bankable smart and resilient projects.
This will entail a brief introduction to the services of the EU Smart Cities Marketplace, presentations by the City of Guimarães and the City of Warsaw on realising smart and resilient initiatives, and interactive breakout discussions led by experts on smart and resilient topics, including Bankers without Boundaries, EIT Urban Mobility Foundation, Technopolis Group.
This workshop is part of the Enabling the transformation to resilient, adaptive and climate-neutral cities stream.
Speakers
Director, City of Warsaw
Marcin Gradzki, Director, City of Warsaw
Manager with more than 12 years of experience in the field of sustainable development, climate change and environmental issues, with practical skills in project and team management. Director at the Warsaw City Hall responsible for the topic of climate policy and air quality. Oriented in the area of climate and environmental protection, ESG, decarbonization and climate change adaptation. Expert in developing, implementing and evaluating strategies for both business and public clients at national, regional and local levels.
City of Guimarães
Isabel Maria Pereira Leite Freitas Loureiro, City of Guimarães
Moderator
Expert, Sustainable and Innovation Procurement, ICLEI Europe
Grace Sly, Expert, Sustainable and Innovation Procurement, ICLEI Europe
Grace is an Expert in Sustainable and Innovation Procurement at ICLEI European Secretariat. In focus on City-to-Business Collaboration, Grace supports the strategic cooperation between public buyers and innovative suppliers to build a shared understanding of how to identify solutions that address the complex sustainability and resilience challenges facing cities and regions across Europe. Her work includes facilitating market engagements, publishing guidances, identifying and dissemenating good practices, preparing training, and delivering policy analyses as well as developing recommendations. Previously she worked on promoting international investments and supporting global infrastructure development. She holds a Masters degree in International Affairs: Trade and Finance from the Hertie School (Berlin, Germany).
Facilitators
Expert | Green & Digital Transformation, ICLEI Europe
Xavier Casanova Colomé, Expert | Green & Digital Transformation, ICLEI Europe
Xavier Casanova Colomé is an expert in green & digital transformation at ICLEI - Europe. His background includes a bachelor and master's degree in Telecommunications Engineering at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya and a master's degree in Sustainable Development at University Colleged Dublin. He has worked in the private sector in different companies ranging from e-democracy to software development or industrial machinery. In his work at ICLEI Europe he is involved in the Smart Cities Marketplace, with a session in EURESFO on 27th June at 14:00.
Head of Green and Digital Transformation, ICLEI Europe
Alis-Daniela Torres, Head of Green and Digital Transformation, ICLEI Europe
Daniela, an Environmental Engineer with over 15 years of experience, is a driving force behind greener cities. Her expertise in energy, ICT, and urban sustainability, coupled with master's degrees in Sustainable Energy and City Sciences, allows her to bridge the gap between cutting-edge solutions and real-world impact.
Currently, at ICLEI Europe, Daniela leads Green and Digital Transformation. Here, she harnesses data, digital solutions and science to guide cities towards a sustainable future, crafting impactful climate action plans. A leader in smart city projects, she also drives ICLEI's monitoring, reporting, and evaluation efforts, ensuring accountability and progress.
Daniela's a force for good, collaborating with Google, the EU Covenant of Mayors, and more. Her expertise spans the globe, from leading Telefonica's global climate change program to advising organizations in Latin America. Daniela isn't just building sustainable cities, she's pioneering them.
Head of Built Environment, Culture and Heritage, ICLEI Europe
Cristina Garzillo Leemhuis, Head of Built Environment, Culture and Heritage, ICLEI Europe
Cristina Garzillo Leemhuis is Head of Built Environment, Culture and Heritage at ICLEI. Having more than 20 years of experience working in and for local governments, Cristina is recognised for her work as expert in local sustainability processes, culture and cultural heritage, integrated management and governance as well as author of numerous publications in the field of local sustainability, knowledge brokerage and transition. Cristina has been appraiser and expert for the URBACT Programme, the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative, the EU Committee of the Regions and United Nations. She is currently member of the European Commission's Expert Group on Culture and Cultural Heritage; expert for UNOPS; member of the Partnership on Culture & Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Tourism of the Urban Agenda for the EU and the New European Bauhaus community. Cristina can also draw on a wealth of academic experience gained from her previous role as contract professor at the University of Parma.
Innovation Exploitation Officer, EIT Urban Mobility (Portugal)
Rafael Afonso, Exploitation Officer, EIT Urban Mobility
Rafael Afonso is an Innovation Exploitation Officer at EIT Urban Mobility and a Matchmaking Expert for the Smart Cities Marketplace. With a technical background in Mechanical Engineering from the Universidade de Lisboa's Instituto Superior Técnico, experience in Sustainability research and upscaling of mobility solutions through events, Rafael is currently responsible for managing two Horizon Europe projects on mobility solutions exploitation and city projects financing.
Associate, BwB (France)
Tommaso Buso, Associate, BwB
Tommaso is an associate at BwB, where he covers numerous projects of sustainable finance, ranging from sovereign green bond issuance, NBS investments, cities decarbonisation modelling, structuring of financing facilities, all the way to support the deployment of reforestation financing.
Over 3 years, he has worked with companies and organisations across Asia, Europe, Africa and America. Previously, he has worked for the retail ESG practice of Amundi AM, Europe’s largest asset manager, and the sustainable finance division of Deloitte France, the largest European sustainability advisory team.
Tommaso holds a master’s degree in Economics and Public Affairs at Sciences Po Paris and speaks 4 languages.