CICAT and TALQ Collaborate to Advance Interoperable Smart Lighting in Spain and Abroad

Published on 2026-09-17

Together with LUCI the partners organise a joint event to discuss the role of smart outdoor lighting for safety and wellbeing

The TALQ Consortium and CICAT, the Lighting Cluster of Catalonia, have established a new partnership to support cities and the lighting ecosystem in advancing towards smarter and more interoperable outdoor lighting solutions. In August 2026, CICAT formally joined the TALQ Partner Program following the signature of the partnership agreement. As a first concrete step in this collaboration, the organisations are preparing a first joint event together with the LUCI Association. The three non-profit organisations invite global city representatives and urban planners to a short conference followed by a guided ‘lighting walk’ after dusk on November 2, 2026, in Barcelona, Spain.

Cities must rethink how they plan, deploy and tender their urban lighting infrastructure and how to ensure cost-efficency, openness and interoperability at the same time. Today, cities are constantly under pressure to improve public safety, support climate goals and keep public spaces inclusive and well-served. These goals are hard to reach with ageing infrastructure that reduces long-term flexibility. To provide cities with vendor-independent information and showcase interoperable solutions to address these complex challenges, CICAT and TALQ have decided to cooperate more closely.

Through the partnership with TALQ, CICAT will bring knowledge on open, vendor-independent interfaces and interoperability standards closer to its members and wider ecosystem, supporting the exchange of knowledge around smart outdoor lighting and related smart city services. For TALQ, the partnership with CICAT provides a connection to the lighting ecosystem in Catalonia and Spain, bringing together manufacturers, designers, specifiers, technology centres, universities and other key actors across the lighting value chain. The collaboration will help bring interoperability and smart city standards closer to professionals and organisations working on urban lighting, public space and new lighting technologies.

Public lighting and wellbeing, perception of safety in cities after dark
As a first visible milestone of the cooperation, CICAT and TALQ – together with the LUCI Association – are preparing a joint event in Barcelona for cities, utilities, manufacturers and lighting professionals to discuss sustainable urban lighting. On November 2, the day before the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) opens its doors, the partners invite participants to a panel session with international speakers, followed by a joint lighting walk in the early evening. The session aims to examine and discuss how interactive lighting, urban design, and smart city technologies can help cities respond to the diverse needs of people at night, particularly women, ageing populations, minorities, and other vulnerable groups.

“This year it feels to us as if all pieces of a large puzzle are falling into place,” reports Simon Dunkley, Secretary General of the TALQ Consortium. “The cooperation with CICAT and LUCI is evolving in a harmonious way and brings valuable insights to all involved parties.”

“The collaboration with TALQ and LUCI reflects CICAT’s approach of collaborating while competing: Connecting companies, professionals and institutions around shared challenges to strengthen the competitiveness of the whole lighting ecosystem. Working together allows us to bring interoperability and smart city knowledge closer to the sector and create new opportunities for companies and cities,“ adds Andrea Padré, Cluster Manager CICAT.

“Cities are increasingly looking at lighting not only as infrastructure, but as an essential part of how people experience and use public space after dark. This collaboration between LUCI, CICAT and TALQ brings together complementary perspectives to explore how smarter and more interoperable lighting solutions can contribute to safer, more inclusive and more sustainable night-time environments,” explains Jasmine van der Pol, General Manager of the LUCI Association.

Entire press release (English) as pdf

NOTA DE PRENSA (Español)

CICAT y TALQ colaboran para impulsar una iluminación inteligente interoperable en España y a nivel internacional

Junto con LUCI, ambas entidades organizan un evento conjunto para debatir sobre el papel de la iluminación exterior inteligente en la seguridad y el bienestar

TALQ Consortium, organismo internacional de estandarización que impulsa la interoperabilidad en las smart cities, y CICAT, el Clúster de la Iluminación de Cataluña, han establecido una nueva alianza para acompañar a las ciudades y al ecosistema de la iluminación en su avance hacia soluciones de alumbrado exterior más inteligentes e interoperables. En agosto de 2026, CICAT se incorporó formalmente al TALQ Partner Program tras la firma del acuerdo de colaboración. Como primer paso concreto de esta alianza, ambas organizaciones están preparando un primer evento conjunto junto con LUCI Association. Las tres entidades sin ánimo de lucro invitan a representantes de ciudades y profesionales de la planificación urbana de todo el mundo a participar en una breve conferencia seguida de un lighting walk guiado al anochecer, que tendrá lugar el 2 de noviembre de 2026 en Barcelona.

Nota de prensa espanol (pdf)

NOTA DE PRENSA (Catalan)

CICAT i TALQ col·laboren per impulsar una il·luminació intel·ligent interoperable a Espanya i a escala internacional

Juntament amb LUCI, ambdues entitats organitzen un esdeveniment conjunt per debatre sobre el paper de la il·luminació exterior intel·ligent en la seguretat i el benestar

TALQ Consortium, organisme internacional d’estandardització que impulsa la interoperabilitat en les smart cities, i CICAT, el Clúster de la Il·luminació de Catalunya, han establert una nova aliança per acompanyar les ciutats i l’ecosistema de la il·luminació en el seu avanç cap a solucions d’enllumenat exterior més intel·ligents i interoperables. L’agost de 2026, CICAT es va incorporar formalment al TALQ Partner Program després de la signatura de l’acord de col·laboració. Com a primer pas concret d’aquesta aliança, ambdues organitzacions estan preparant un primer esdeveniment conjunt juntament amb LUCI Association. Les tres entitats sense ànim de lucre conviden representants de ciutats i professionals de la planificació urbana d’arreu del món a participar en una breu conferència seguida d’un lighting walk guiat al capvespre, que tindrà lloc el 2 de novembre de 2026 a Barcelona.

Nota de prensa catalan (pdf)

COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE (Française)

CICAT et TALQ concluent un partenariat pour faire progresser l’éclairage intelligent et interopérable en Espagne et à l’international

Avec LUCI Association, les partenaires organisent un événement pour échanger sur le rôle de l’éclairage urbain intelligent et de son impact en matière de sécurité et de bien-être en ville

Le TALQ Consortium, organisme international de référence en matière de normalisation et d’interopérabilité pour les smart cities, et CICAT, le Cluster de l’Eclairage de Catalogne, annoncent un nouveau partenariat destiné à accompagner les villes et l’ensemble de l’écosystème de l’éclairage dans leur transition vers des solutions d’éclairage urbain plus intelligentes et plus interopérables. A la suite de cet accord, CICAT a officiellement rejoint le TALQ Partner Program en août 2026. Comme première concrétisation de cette coopération, CICAT et TALQ préparent aujourd’hui un événement conjoint avec LUCI Association. Les trois organisations à but non lucratif invitent les représentants des villes et les professionnels de l’aménagement urbain du monde entier à participer à une conférence suivie d’une visite nocturne guidée, le 2 novembre 2026 à Barcelone, en Espagne.

Communiquè de presse française (pdf)

PRESSEMELDUNG (Deutsch)

CICAT und TALQ kooperieren, um die Interoperabilität smarter Straßenbeleuchtung weltweit voranzutreiben

Gemeinsam mit LUCI organisieren die Partner eine Veranstaltung zur Diskussion der Rolle intelligenter Außenbeleuchtung für Sicherheit und Wohlbefinden in Städten

Das TALQ Konsortium, eine international tätige Standardisierungsorganisation für mehr Interoperabilität in ‚Smart Cities‘, und CICAT, der Beleuchtungscluster Kataloniens, werden Partner, um Städte und Beleuchtungshersteller auf ihrem Weg zu intelligenteren und interoperableren Lösungen für Außenbeleuchtung zu unterstützen. Im August 2026 trat CICAT dem TALQ-Partnerprogramm bei. Als ersten konkreten Schritt dieser Zusammenarbeit bereiten die Partner, gemeinsam mit der LUCI Association, eine gemeinsame Veranstaltung vor. Die drei gemeinnützigen Organisationen laden Vertreter von Städten und Kommunen sowie Stadtplaner aus aller Welt zu einer Podiumsdiskussion am 2. November 2026 nach Barcelona ein. Nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit schließt sich ein geführter ‚Lichtspaziergang‘ an.

Vollständige Pressemeldung auf Deutsch als pdf