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Host City Programme

Bring the global Industry 5.0 platform to your city.

Each edition of the flagship summit is hosted by one city. It brings international industry, research and investment to your doorstep, and leaves programmes that keep working after the delegates leave.

Why host

  • High-level presence in your city

    Leaders and senior officials from international institutions, national governments and global companies are invited to every edition, alongside 300–500 delegates from industry, research, cities and finance.

  • Cutting-edge technologies and innovative products

    Six tracks, an expo and a start-up showcase bring the latest in AI, robotics, energy, digital twins and frontier technologies to your city, with your local companies in the room to meet them first.

  • Economic impact

    Visitor nights, local spending, investment contacts and new partnerships, documented in an independent impact report after the edition.

  • Global positioning and media exposure

    The edition carries your city’s name. Your city appears on the i5Index map, in international media coverage of the Forum, across the i5Ecosystem’s social media channels, and in the research the Forum publishes.

  • A legacy that stays

    Pilots launched in the Residency Programme, skills built through i5Academy, and partnerships with companies and universities that continue after the delegates leave.

Legacy in three phases

  1. Before

    • An initial i5Benchmark city baseline, at no cost: where your city stands on the five dimensions
    • An SME readiness cohort: local companies prepared to present, pilot and partner
    • Host city charter prepared with the city’s lead team (Inside a host city charter →)

  2. During

    • The edition carries your city’s name
    • The host city charter signed on stage at the opening plenary
    • Day 3 site visits showcase your city’s own transition projects
    • International media and i5Ecosystem coverage throughout

  3. After

    • Residency Programme: companies and researchers stay on for co-development with local partners
    • 12 months of measurable actions, tracked against the baseline
    • Impact report for the city and its partners
    • i5Academy courses and i5Certification for local organisations
    • First option to host a later edition

Your city as the living lab

On day three, delegates visit your city’s own transition projects: energy and buildings, port and logistics, circular food and transition planning. Your work becomes the case the world studies.

Illustration

Inside a host city charter

  1. Skills

    Example action within 12 monthsA reskilling track for workers in the city’s priority industries.

  2. SME readiness

    Example action within 12 monthsLocal SMEs complete an i5Benchmark readiness assessment and a plan to improve.

  3. Municipal pilots

    Example action within 12 monthsCity services pilot solutions matched at the summit.

  4. Open city data

    Example action within 12 monthsThe city publishes its baseline indicators as open data.

Who should apply

Hosting suits cities and regions with the ambition to lead on Industry 5.0: places that want to put people, sustainability and resilience at the centre of their industrial future, and are ready to be measured on it.

A good fit has:

  • An industrial or innovation base, with transition projects already under way
  • Political commitment from the city or regional leadership to a human-centric, sustainable and resilient transition
  • A venue for 300–500 delegates: a plenary hall, rooms for six parallel tracks and labs, and hotel capacity nearby
  • Good international access by air and rail
  • Universities or research institutes ready to take part
  • Local companies and anchor organisations willing to co-fund and host residents

Selection timeline for the 2028 edition

  1. 01Now to early 2027We are here

    Expression of interest

    Cities and regions tell us they’re interested, and we send the host city prospectus.

  2. 02Q1 2027

    Introductory call and rapid city assessment

    A call with the city team and a short assessment of readiness, venues and the local ecosystem.

  3. 03After the assessment

    Formal host invitation

    We send the city a formal invitation to host the edition.

  4. 04Q2 2027

    Site visit and terms

    We visit venues with the city team and agree roles, budget and legacy programmes.

  5. 05By June 2027

    Memorandum of understanding

    In time for the city’s 2028 budget planning.

  6. 06Q4 2027

    Host city and dates announced

    The host city and dates are announced together.

What hosting involves

Hosting is a partnership. The host city and its anchor organisations contribute in three ways; the Forum brings the programme, the international delegation, the research and the communications.

  1. In kind

    Venue, civic reception, the mayor’s participation, convention bureau support, local transport and a city-side team for the preparation year.

  2. Host contribution

    A financial contribution towards production and programme costs, shared between the city and local anchor organisations. The amount depends on the edition’s scale and is set out in the host city prospectus.

  3. Legacy co-funding

    Funding for an SME readiness cohort, student participation and municipal pilots, often through regional development bodies or EU programmes.

Full terms are in the host city prospectus.

Questions from cities

  • We expect 300–500 delegates over three days: industry, research, city and regional leaders, investors and funders. With the Residency Programme, the Forum’s presence in your city extends well beyond the three days.

Not ready for a full edition? Host a City Dialogue in 2027 →

Host City Programme

Express interest as a city

We’ll send the host city prospectus and arrange an introductory call.

Prefer email? Write to .