Cities Need Living Labs, Urban Tech Hubs, to Facilitate Urban Innovation

Cities like Heidelberg, Valencia, and Tallinn are turning into living labs — real-world testbeds where urban innovation can thrive. This session explores how urban tech hubs and open platforms like Test in Tallinn accelerate collaboration between governments, entrepreneurs, and global partners. It will dive into the strengths of public policy and private enterprise to challenge conventional approaches to urban innovation: How can cities move beyond pilots to systemic change? And what does it take to truly innovate at city scale?