Kick-off CapaCITIES 2.0 project

Launch of CapaCITIES 2.0: Advancing climate neutral cities with national and regional support

On May 8, ERRIN participated in the kick-off meeting for the CapaCITIES 2.0 project, as part of the Cities Mission Conference 2025 in Vilnius. CapaCITIES 2.0 is a two-year Horizon Europe project aiming to support national and regional authorities in strengthening their governance structures, where ERRIN contributes as a key partner in the consortium. The final objective is to help cities reach climate neutrality, in line with the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission and its related platform NetZeroCities. 

Building on the first phase of CapaCITIES, the project expands and advances the development of national platforms and strengthens multi-level governance across Europe. Led by UEFISCDI, the consortium includes partners from representatives of cities, regions (e.g. Ile de France),  public administration, private scientific institutions and universities across the EU. Keynote speeches from CINEA and the European Commission highlighted the need of strengthening governance to reach climate neutrality targets. 

CapaCITIES 2.0 aims to support the expansion of existing national platforms and, crucially, establishes new ones with key networks to speed up cities' journey to climate neutrality. It will offer customised assistance to public authorities, helping them improve regulatory frameworks, simplify access to funding and strengthen governance. By creating transnational learning opportunities, the project aims to foster capacity-building, share best practices and ensure alignment with broader European and international efforts. It will also bolster multi-level governance by pinpointing region-specific conditions and working to eliminate obstacles. The anticipated results include more efficient national support systems and enhanced institutional readiness to drive climate action. 

Positioned uniquely within the governance landscape, ERRIN will play a key role in identifying and enhancing regional-level enabling conditions, assessing how regions can better assist cities in achieving climate neutrality. This is a key element introduced in this new project phase. ERRIN will also take the lead in organising joint events that connect EU platforms with international networks, promoting alignment with the Cities Mission. Furthermore, ERRIN will support transnational learning initiatives and policy-related activities, helping to strengthen governance frameworks and foster greater collaboration across Europe. 

The Smart Cities Working Group has led ERRIN's involvement in the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission over the past few years. Through transnational exchanges and collaborative activities with key European and international stakeholders, the project will provide valuable learning and networking opportunities for ERRIN members. CapaCITIES 2.0 will further empower ERRIN to collaborate closely with the NetZeroCities project. 

Following the successful project development work of ERRIN’s Secretariat in 2024, ERRIN will, as from spring 2025 onwards, be strategically positioned in several new projects spanning across ERRIN’s priority areas. Through these new projects, ERRIN will continue its efforts to strengthen the role of regions in the EU Missions, support better policy coordination across governance levels, as well as foster interregional collaboration and peer learning among local stakeholders. These new projects will connect ERRIN, and its members, to 177 project partners across Europe, seeking new alliances for advocating for the place-based perspective in research and innovation. These include the Preparatory Action: Innovation for place-based transformation, with more project launches soon to come.