MIBA–Milan International Building Alliance, the event held at Fiera Milano from 19 to 22 November, concluded an edition marked by rising figures and strong content dynamism: 1,369 exhibitors and 85,000 visitors from 112 countries, a 5% increase compared to 2023, confirm the progressive consolidation of the format as a European benchmark platform for professionals in the built environment.

By: Mariagrazia Scoppio, Media Relations, Communication Department, Fiera Milano; E-mail: mariagrazia.scoppio@fieramilano.it

Four events together – MADE expo, SMART BUILDING EXPO, SICUREZZA and GEE – Global Elevator Exhibition – offered an opportunity for updates on technologies, materials, solutions, and regulations for professionals involved in various ways in the evolution of buildings and cities: from the world of construction and architecture to systems engineering and technologies that ensure services, accessibility, and security.

Three themes guided the dialogue among companies, professionals, institutions, and the research community: sustainability, energy and digital transition, and training. These themes not only define the sector’s priorities, but also outline the roadmap for the transformation awaiting our cities and the very way we live in and design spaces.

The debate on sustainability ran across all four events, with particular focus on the tools that can provide tangible support in achieving the European goals set by the green buildings directive.

“The path pursued by MIBA fully embraces the spirit of the New European Bauhaus, the European Commission initiative that calls for rethinking the built environment by combining sustainability, aesthetic quality, and inclusion.” –  states Niccolò Aste, Professor of Architecture and Construction Engineering and Built Environment at the Politecnico di Milano – “With the Made Sustainable Prize (SusPrize), we wanted to translate this approach into a concrete experience capable of highlighting projects that demonstrate how innovation can be simultaneously beautiful, responsible, and deeply rooted in the needs of communities. In this context, the awarded excellences clearly show us that today’s trend is towards a conscious aesthetics that sacrifices neither material quality nor social quality. Regenerated living spaces, sustainable materials, architectures with strong community value: all of this is not ‘niche’ but represents a development model that can become mainstream. SusPrize aims to be a beacon: an invitation to anyone with a vision – artisans, start-ups, architects, companies – to dare, experiment, and reimagine the everyday. I believe this is the right direction to build a future in which excellence is not a privilege, but a common good”.

At the same time, the energy and digital transition emerged as a strategic lever for renewing the sector. From integrated design to intelligent energy systems, from digital platforms to new monitoring and management models, MIBA provided a forum for discussion on the solutions reshaping the entire life cycle of the built environment.

“Efficiency, electrification, and digitalization of the building stock are crucial challenges for the country and require addressing issues that have so far been underestimated, such as the inadequacy of electrical systems. In this scenario, MIBA has proven to be not only an exhibition showcase but also a laboratory of ideas capable of fostering innovation, safety, and sustainability. The hope is that the dialogue initiated here becomes the starting point for strengthening what is fundamental for Prosiel: establishing a more robust dialogue among supply chain stakeholders to build a system, sharing a common strategic vision, initiating constructive engagement with institutions, and promoting communication capable of making even non-experts understand the strategic value of this transformation. We must accelerate: safe, digital, and sustainable buildings are not only an environmental choice, but also an economic and social one” – states Roberto Martino, President of Prosiel.

This evolution concerns not only tools but also the design and operational culture of companies and their professionals. For this reason, with a global offering of more than 100 conferences and seminars, MIBA placed great emphasis on professional training, which is considered essential for supporting the sector’s transformation. The ongoing evolution of technologies serving buildings – especially in sensitive sectors such as security – now requires increasingly specialized professional profiles capable of assessing the most suitable technological solutions for each application context.

“To provide an adequate level of security in cultural venues, it is essential to invest in training and foster constant dialogue between security professionals and cultural heritage operators.” – states Carlo Hruby, Vice President of the Enzo Hruby Foundation – “At SICUREZZA, we wanted to reaffirm the value of academic education by presenting the Advanced Training Course in Cultural Security Management, developed with the University of Pavia. This program represents a real breakthrough, establishing for the first time in Italy the formal role of the Cultural Security Manager: a professional trained in the use of the most advanced technologies and their integration, capable of achieving a high level of protection while optimizing the management and enhancement of cultural sites and the assets they house.”

MIBA looks forward to welcoming everyone to the next edition, from 17 to 19 November 2027 at Fiera Milano.

As the UAE’s cybersecurity market rapidly expands from US$620 million in 2024 to a projected US$1.29 billion by 2030, driven by AI security analytics, Zero Trust architecture, and robust government initiatives, Intersec 2026’s InCyber Briefing will outline critical insights into the evolving digital threat landscape and the governance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).

According to ResearchAndMarkets, the UAE cybersecurity market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by a combination of digital transformation initiatives, rising cyber threats, and strong government support for digital infrastructure, including the formation of the UAE National Cybersecurity Strategy and the establishment of entities such as the Cybersecurity Council. These initiatives are seen as a major growth catalyst, with the research indicating the sector will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8% until 2030.

Part of the 27th edition of Intersec, taking place from 12–14 January 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the InCyber Briefing is tailored for CISOs, cybersecurity strategists, and digital risk leaders navigating unprecedented technological acceleration with a focus on practical tools and real-world frameworks addressing AI governance, post-quantum readiness, supply chain resilience, and cyber risk reporting.

A highlight of the InCyber Briefing will be a keynote session by Luqman Kondeth, Director of Cybersecurity at New York University Abu Dhabi, titled “The Oracle in the System: A Village Parable for Governing AI.” As part of the session, Kondeth will translate the complexities of AI governance into practical lessons in trust, oversight and responsible innovation.

“In the story, the Village Head must keep his people alive through uncertainty, balancing resources, risk, and innovation. When he introduces an Oracle, a brilliant but unpredictable tool, he faces the same dilemma we face with AI: how to benefit from its intelligence without surrendering judgment. By watching how the Head sets rules, validates predictions, and keeps humans in the loop, audiences see governance not as compliance paperwork, but as collective wisdom made systematic,” said Kondeth.

Addressing the critical concern in AI deployment of accurate predictions versus hallucination, Kondeth emphasised that while governance frameworks can’t eliminate risk, they play a vital role in defining accountability and awareness. He said:

“We must build systems, or ‘three lines of defence’: operations teams who test AI in controlled conditions, risk and compliance teams who measure accuracy and bias, and internal auditors who verify the rules were followed.”

Outlining what the future of AI governance will look like in practice, Kondeth believes it will feel less like regulation and more like infrastructure, and embedded into design and decision pipelines in the same way cybersecurity and privacy are today.

“AI governance needs to be continuous, integrated, and human-centred. We’re moving toward AI control rooms that constantly monitor model behaviour, supported by ongoing risk assessments rather than periodic reviews. Because AI will operate as both a tool and a service across the enterprise, close alignment with Enterprise Architecture is essential. Ultimately, governance must remain adaptive – measuring not just performance, but trust, accountability, and societal impact,” concluded Kondeth.

In addition to the one-day InCyber Briefing, leading management consulting firm and Intersec Strategic Intelligence Partner, Kearney, will host a closed-door roundtable titled “Defending the Digital Backbone: Securing National Infrastructure in the Era of AI and Hybrid Threats.” Based on the discussion, Kearney will produce a white paper on the session that explores how governments can move beyond reactive defence toward proactive, intelligence-driven resilience, integrating policy, technology, and ecosystem collaboration to safeguard critical assets.

Dishan Isaac, Show Director of Intersec at Messe Frankfurt Middle East, said: “AI, automation, and digitisation are reshaping the cybersecurity landscape. The InCyber Briefing equips decision-makers with the foresight, frameworks, and leadership strategies needed to govern AI ethically and effectively while securing their organisations against emerging threats.”

With over 1,400 exhibitors from more than 60 countries and an expected 50,000 visitors, Intersec 2026 will be the largest edition in its 27-year history, spanning 67,000 sqm of exhibition space under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and supported by the General Command of Dubai Civil Defense (DCD) and Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA).