The European PropTech Association participated in CityShift Vilnius 2025, where its Chairman, Dirk Paelinck, delivered a keynote presentation titled “Europe’s PropTech Advantage: Innovation with Impact and Purpose.”
The event gathered more than 200 participants, including investors, PropTech founders, real estate executives, and government leaders, to explore how technology, sustainability, and policy are converging to shape the future of cities across Europe.
A Crossroads for Urban Innovation
Hosted by PropTech Lithuania, CityShift positioned itself as a “built-for-doers” event — connecting innovators, investors, and policymakers around actionable solutions for urban transformation.
The agenda focused on four main themes: Smarter Cities, Better Living; Retrofit = New Build; Artificial Intelligence & Real Estate; and Tech in the Real World. Each topic reflected Europe’s growing focus on decarbonization, ESG integration, and digital transformation across the built environment.
Thought Leaders and Industry Voices
CityShift’s diverse lineup included Antony Slumbers, who led a practical AI for Real Estate workshop, alongside Camilla Richter-Friis van Deurs of the Nordic Office of Architecture, Troy Aaron Harvey of PassiveLogic, Gregory Pitl of Proptech and Beyond, and Michael Dugent of Nozomi Networks.
Other participants represented leading organizations such as Eastnine, Exergio, Civinity, Eika Group, and Dextall, reflecting the cross-sector collaboration that defines Europe’s PropTech landscape.
Panel sessions explored critical areas including the role of AI in real estate operations, cybersecurity for connected buildings, and retrofit as a pathway to sustainable growth. The CityShift HUB segment introduced Lithuania’s emerging urban innovation platform, showcasing cooperation between public institutions and the private sector.
CityShift for Collaboration Across Europe
In addition to its strong European presence, the conference featured local leaders such as Valdas Benkunskas, Mayor of Vilnius, and Adomas Bužinskas, CEO of Vilnius City Municipality, underscoring the importance of city-level engagement in advancing real estate innovation.
The event also facilitated discussions on financing models, policy alignment, and ecosystem development — all critical for scaling PropTech across European markets.
CityShift 2025 reaffirmed Europe’s position at the forefront of sustainable real estate innovation, where collaboration between cities, corporates, and startups continues to drive meaningful change across the built environment.
