Conference Programme

The world, cities and public authorities are facing major environmental, economic and social challenges that require a substantial transformation across all aspects of society. Procurement has to play a key role in this transformation but its use in driving the transition remains patchy at best. Now more than ever we need step changes to achieve big impact!

Speakers:

• Carlos Moedas, Mayor of Lisbon
• Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmö, ICLEI First Vice President and Chair of the Procura+ Network.
• Janez Potočnik, Co-Chair, UNEP International Resource Panel - See presentation
• Abby Semple, Public Procurement Analysis - See presentation

Nothing beats the up-close and personal conversation you get in a group of like-minded, procurement-passionate peers. These discussion sessions have been at the heart of our events since the first conference. Market Lounge 1 had over 25 roundtables (3 x 30 min sessions) discussing how step changes for big impact have been made with strategies, policies, and most important implementing procurement on the ground.

The Market Lounge roundtables can be found here.

Actionable insights from procurement leaders and share your knowledge of procurement in key processes, product and service areas.

There has been a high expectation that procurement can be a quick and practical way of tackling many of today’s environmental and societal challenges. This has not happened. Quick wins can be made, the realisation though is that many procurement officers require specific skills, approaches and training to identify more sustainable, circular or innovative products, services, avoid greenwash, or evaluate and compare social claims. While initial training in the main concepts and approaches underlying SPP is important, there is a need for ongoing professional development, upskilling and change management.  In many cases to develop capacity and change the way procurers work in the field of sustainable, circular and innovation procurement has been down to personal motivation. This session highlighted how leadership, change management, employee engagement, digital technologies and professionalisation play pivotal roles in better procurement outcomes.

Speakers:

• Erika Bozzay, Senior Policy Adviser, Infrastructure and Public Procurement Division, Public Governance Directorate, OECD - See presentation
• Ivo Locatelli, Senior expert, European Commission, DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs - See presentation.
• Alexandra Vandevyvere, Circular Flanders
• Kęstutis Kazulis, Principal Advisor to Public Procurement Office of Lithuania

Further speakers to be confirmed.

Fireside chat:

• Fernando Batista, President of the National Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, Portugal
• Sandra Simões, Board Member, National Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, Portugal - See presentation

The Procura+ Awards ceremony celebrated the Sustainable Procurement of the Year, Innovation Procurement of the Year and Procurement Initiative of the Year. During the ceremony Mayor Carlos Moedas introduced and handed over the Awards, together with Jorge Laguna Celis, Head of the United Nations One Planet Network, UNEP, and Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, Mayor of Malmo, First Vice-President ICLEI, Chair of the Procura+ Network

Back by popular demand! This plenary was such a success at the last conference we have been asked to bring it back… confess your procurement mistakes and tell us how you overcame them! Making step changes that lead to a big impact often comes from the ability to learn from failure.

Panel: feedback to roundtable discussions and range of support available to cities

Speakers and panellists:

• Paul Louis Iske, Chief Failures Officer, The Institute for Brilliant Failures - See presentation
• Philipp Tepper, Principal Expert, Sustainable and Innovation Procurement, Procura+ Network Manager, ICLEI
• Bertrand Wert, Innovation maker and demand side measures expert, European Innovation Council, European Commission
• Valentina Shabaj, Policy Officer, Social Economy and Proximity Unit, DG GROW, European Commission.

Audience feedback and roundtable discussions

Market lounge 2 had over 25 roundtables (3 x 30 min sessions) providing bite sized tips and actionable ways to achieve effective procurement. The roundtables showcased, provide advice and discuss support available, tools, approaches, research, projects and initiatives to help you achieve step changes for big impact.

The Market Lounge roundtables can be found here.

The Agora was a collaborative space that served as a meeting ground for activities related to sustainable, social, innovation and circular procurement.

Participants could visit the Lisbon Drainage Master Plan, the largest investment ever made by the Lisbon City Council, aimed to protect the city from flooding by closing the water cycle through the distribution of recycled water for irrigation, cleaning streets and other uses. The type of contract used to choose the contractor was design-build, given the special expertise and complexity of the works, underground and tunnels in urban areas, and the cost of which is closely linked to the construction process. Find out more here.

Participants could also visit Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles Urban Park. The park, centred on people and climate-proof principles, allows the connection of previously fragmented urban areas through a consolidated green infrastructure. As part of the development of the park, Lisbon renatured a stretch of watercourse with the planting of riparian vegetation on the banks, planted more than 1000 trees and created  leisure and recreational areas. pedestrian paths, playgrounds, and a cycle path with bike-sharing stations. Find out more here.

Alternatively, the Procura+ conference participant were able to visit the Beato Innovation District, a project that fosters technology and digital industries was launched by the Lisbon City Council and is managed and curated by Unicorn Factory Lisbon. Located in the southern wing of the former Military Maintenance facilities, this space, consisting of 18 buildings, will host thirteen distinct projects, totaling about 60,000 square meters of total area, and 3000 people working from the area.  Find out more about the Beato Innovation District and the various companies in the technology sector hosted there here.