Tampere will co-host the Forum on AI and Citiverse with two United Nations agencies, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UN-Habitat, at Tampere Hall on 9–10 September 2026. The forum will examine what cities need to deploy AI responsibly and at scale. It will be followed by the first meeting of a new ITU-T focus group on AI for cities.
What the forum covers
The full title of the event is Forum on AI and Citiverse: Building the Foundations for Interoperable and Scalable Urban Innovation. It will bring together representatives from cities, governments, businesses, academia and international organizations. Discussions are meant to move beyond individual pilots to interoperable systems, international standards and strong collaboration across sectors. The programme includes generative AI, agentic AI, physical AI, spatial intelligence and digital twins, guiding principles for people-centred smart cities, and interoperability, standards and trust. Sessions will also cover practical lessons for taking AI and citiverse solutions from pilot projects to citywide impact. The forum is open to all, but registration is required.
Tampere’s role in the citiverse initiative
The city presents the forum as a reflection of its long-term commitment to international citiverse development. 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. Deputy Mayor Jaakko Mustakallio serves as a Vice-Chair of the initiative’s Executive Committee. According to Mustakallio, Tampere’s recognition in this field rests on its own pilots and innovations, European research and development projects, and the expertise of the region’s higher education institutions. Seizo Onoe, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, said hosting the events is “just the latest of many contributions from Tampere to ITU’s work.”
Next: a new standards focus group
The first meeting of the ITU-T Focus Group on AI for Smart Sustainable Cities and Communities (FG-AI4SSC) will take place on 10–11 September 2026. The group is open to all interested stakeholders and will bring together cities, governments, industry, academia, standards bodies and UN entities. Its pre-standardization work will explore how AI can integrate with the Internet of Things, digital twins and smart city systems. The city says this work lays the foundations for future international standards. Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, said technological innovation must remain grounded in human dignity, cultural diversity and shared values.