The Southern Node of CitCom.ai, led from València, hosted today the AI Forum on Tourism and Smart Cities, a working day focused on the development and testing of AI-based solutions to address concrete urban challenges.
Co-organised with València Innovation Capital and the Franco-Spanish Chamber of Commerce, the event brought together representatives from public administrations, tech companies, universities and research centres from both the local and international innovation ecosystem, reinforcing València’s role as a key urban testing ground within the project.
AI is a technology of the present
Paula Llobet, councillor for Innovation, Tourism and Investment Attraction of València City Council, highlighted that “artificial intelligence is not a technology of the future, but of the present. From València Innovation Capital, we are committed to integrating it ethically and efficiently to improve people’s lives, promote more sustainable tourism, and position ourselves as a leading city in digital innovation.”
Several ongoing use cases were presented during the forum, including smart tourist routes for groups, multilingual virtual assistants, and real-time noise monitoring systems, alongside pilot projects in urban mobility and energy efficiency. All initiatives are being developed with a strong ethical, regulatory and citizen-centred approach, and are supported by infrastructures such as the VLCi virtual city platform.
Possible cases for CitCom.ai
Ernesto Faubel, coordinator of the Southern Node of CitCom.ai and director of Smart City València, added, “through CitCom.ai, València is connecting its local strategy with a European network that enables scaling real AI solutions with social impact.”
The day also featured a co-creation workshop, where professionals from the public and private sectors worked in groups to generate innovative AI proposals addressing two strategic areas: tourism management and sustainable mobility. The ideas developed during the workshop will be assessed as potential future use cases within the CitCom.ai framework.
This event is part of the current phase of the project, during which infrastructures are being consolidated, pilot projects implemented and synergies built with other European nodes. The forum reaffirmed the Southern Node’s commitment to open innovation, technology transfer and the deployment of digital solutions aligned with the real challenges faced by European cities.
Ready to test your AI in València?
Contact us!
📧 raicamo@upv.es
