About

A technological impulse for transformation. How innovation supports the future of cities and business competitiveness

Sustainable Industry Lab 2026 (SILAB’26) is an annual event organized by UNEP/GRID-Warsaw, focused on integrating technology and sustainable development strategies within the private sector and cities. The 2026 edition will take place at a pivotal moment for the global economy—when growing tensions in critical raw material supply chains, tightened export restrictions, and the worldwide drive for emissions reporting and reduction are forcing a new way of thinking about digitally supported transformation and the resilience of cities and industry.

SILAB’26 continues the efforts aligned with the resolutions of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and the Global Digital Compact, adopted in 2024 during the UN Summit of the Future. This year, the conference places particular emphasis on the coherence of digital, environmental, and raw-material security processes—aligned with the European Union’s priorities set out in the Clean Industrial Deal, the Net-Zero Industry Act, the Cyber Resilience Act, and the latest guidelines for green financing.

Digital technologies for resilience and decarbonization

Digital transformation has become a tool for increasing energy efficiency and ensuring business continuity amid resource and climate crises.
Through the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), predictive technologies, and data analytics, industries and cities can not only reduce emissions but also better manage risks—from infrastructure failures to the impacts of extreme weather events.

The SILab 2026 – A Digital Pulse for Transformation conference is addressed to leaders from the industrial, energy, and urban sectors, as well as representatives of technology companies, startups, academia, and public decision-makers.
The event demonstrates how digital innovation—from avoided emissions analytics to predictive infrastructure maintenance—can accelerate the achievement of decarbonization and resilience goals.

Main themes and SILAB’26 Labs

The new edition combines political, business, and technological perspectives, offering four parallel thematic tracks:

• CITIES. Resilient and zero-emission – smart energy, storage, and urban logistics management as the key to climate neutrality.
• INDUSTRY. Process and resource-efficiency optimization – from failure prediction to practical implementation of closed material loops.
• DATA. From technology to emissions reduction – integrating AI and IoT in ESG reporting, new methods for measuring and reporting avoided emissions.
• CYBERSECURITY. Infrastructure protection and resilience – protection of critical infrastructure, data security, and strategies for adapting industry to limited access to critical minerals.

The conference will conclude with a session dedicated to innovation and financing the green transition in the era of the digital revolution, featuring representatives of financial institutions, investment firms, and public decision-makers.

Conference objectives

1. Strengthening the synergy between digitalization and decarbonization – presenting concrete tools and models that accelerate emission reduction in energy-intensive sectors.
2. Building resource and infrastructure resilience – analyzing new threats (cyber, raw materials, climate) and ways to mitigate them.
3. Supporting regulatory compliance and ESG reporting – practical guidance on CSRD, ESRS, and sustainable finance principles.
4. Inspiring change leaders – showcasing innovations in circular economy, green logistics, process prediction, and environmental data management.
5. Creating collaboration networks – connecting industry, cities, academia, finance, and technology representatives around the shared goal of transforming toward a resilient, low-emission economy.

Why attend?

• Understand new economic realities – the impact of global resource tensions and EU regulations on corporate and municipal strategies.
• Practical AI and IoT implementations – real-world examples from manufacturing, logistics, and urban sectors using data to cut emissions.
• New approaches to ESG reporting – how to turn environmental data into investment decisions and competitive advantage.
• Cybersecurity in the era of sustainable digitalization – how to protect infrastructure and data amid growing threats.
• Access to experts and industry leaders – a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, showcase innovation, and build cross-sector partnerships.