The event will bring together representatives from cities, governments, businesses, academia and international organizations. Discussions will move beyond individual pilots to examine what cities need to deploy AI responsibly and at scale: interoperable systems, international standards and strong collaboration across sectors.
The programme will explore generative AI, agentic AI, physical AI, spatial intelligence and digital twins; guiding principles for people-centred smart cities; interoperability, standards and trust; and practical lessons for taking AI and citiverse solutions from pilot projects to citywide impact.
The forum hosted by Tampere also reflects the city’s long-term commitment to international citiverse development. The City of Tampere has been an active contributor to the Discovering the Citiverse – Global Initiative on AI, Digital Twins and Virtual Worlds, launched by ITU, the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) and Digital Dubai. Jaakko Mustakallio, Deputy Mayor of the City of Tampere, serves as a Vice-Chair of the Initiative’s Executive Committee.
The AI-enabled citiverse connects physical and digital urban environments through technologies such as AI, spatial intelligence, digital twins and immersive virtual worlds . In this environment, data, artificial intelligence, digital twins, and augmented and virtual reality, for example, support urban development and residents’ everyday lives.
– Tampere has gained international recognition as a frontrunner in citiverse development through its own pilots and innovations, European research and development projects, and the strong expertise of the region’s higher education institutions. The city cooperates with both European and global actors with the aim of building a responsible, inclusive and sustainable digital city, says Mustakallio.
The forum will also be followed by the first meeting of the new international ITU-T Focus Group on AI for Smart Sustainable Cities and Communities (FG-AI4SSC), taking place on 10–11 September 2026. Open to all interested stakeholders, the Focus Group will bring together cities, governments, industry, academia, standards bodies and UN entities to advance safe, interoperable and scalable AI-enabled urban systems. Its pre-standardization work will explore how AI can integrate effectively with the Internet of Things, digital twins and smart city systems, laying the foundations for future international standards.
– Cities are key places to ensure that new technologies deliver on their promise of a better life. Hosting our upcoming events is just the latest of many contributions from Tampere to ITU’s work. We highly appreciate how Tampere shares its experiences and lessons learnt on the ITU platform and helps other cities to do the same, says Seizo Onoe, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau.
– AI has enormous potential to improve how our cities and communities function and how people access essential services, including adequate housing and basic services. But as AI and other digital technologies become increasingly integrated into urban life, how we develop and use them, and the values that guide them, will matter just as much as the technology itself. Most importantly, technological innovation must remain grounded in human dignity, cultural diversity and shared values, and ultimately improve the quality of life for people living in cities and communities, said Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat.
The event is open to everyone and requires advance registration via the event website.
