Working Group Leaders
Representatives of Brussels-based offices leading the work of the Smart Cities Working Group.
Smart Cities
The objective of the Working Group is to act as a platform to offer early information on priorities and funding opportunities linked to Smart Cities, with a focus on the EU Mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030. The WG aims to facilitate sharing of experiences and support matchmaking to develop new partnerships and projects. The WG targets the smart city topic from an integrated and holistic approach, addressing issues such as citizen engagement, data-driven policy and smart governance models, while exploring synergies between the areas linked to smart cities as addressed by the ERRIN WGs on Energy and Climate Change, Transport and ICT.
ERRIN Contact
Mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030
The Smart Cities WG has taken an active role in shaping the Mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030 - one of the five mission areas under Horizon Europe - and is closely following the implementation of the mission. Visit our dedicated Cities Mission page to learn more about our work on this.
Previous Related ERRIN Working Group Meetings
Artificial Intelligence related strategies at local and regional level – ICT WG Meeting
In December 2023, the Council and the European Parliament reached a political agreement on the AI Act, setting out rules for the development and usage of AI in Europe. With AI's growing importance
Policy & Smart Specialisation WGs meeting: Widening in FP10 and impact on cohesion policy post-2027
The topic of widening gathers high attention in the discussions around the next European Framework Programme for R&I, raising questions with the potential to influence not only the Widening sub-
Policy WG meeting: Role of EU Missions in FP10
ERRIN has been closely involved in the design and implementation of the EU Missions since their inception. Missions remain one of the network's priorities and were one of the four main areas of focus
WG Related Events
Climate-neutral cities by 2030: delivering results through multi-stakeholder engagement
ERRIN, together with the MOSAIC project and the European Commission, will host the session ‘Climate-neutral cities by 2030: delivering results through multi-stakeholder engagement’ at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023. The session, taking place at SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre, Room 210 on 10 October at 14:30 CET, aims to explore the power of co-creation as a catalyst for social innovation on the path to climate neutrality.
European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC)
The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance.
ERRIN event: Organising a regional innovation ecosystem
This in-person ERRIN event on 4 October, organised in line with the Management Board priority on widening and deepening engagement in R&I, invites all ERRIN members to share and explore the ways to develop their regional innovation ecosystems going beyond any specific initiatives or funding opportunities. The event will enable informal mutual learning and exchanges of practices between network colleagues from across Europe in an interactive way.
NEB Task Force: Local bottom-up approaches to New European Bauhaus
Following the Commission's proposal to create a New European Bauhaus Mission, the ERRIN Task Force is organising an event focusing on the bottom-up approaches to NEB. The output of this meeting will be used to develop an ERRIN answer to the ongoing NEB consultations.
CoR stakeholder consultation "Towards an integrated EU policy approach to support place-based innovation for the green and digital transition"
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is drafting an opinion "Towards an integrated EU policy approach to support place-based innovation for the green and digital transition". Interested stakeholders are invited for a thematic consultation and exchange of views on 3 October 2023 from 10:00-12:00 at the CoR premises. Registration is possible by 29 September.
European Hydrogen Observatory Relaunch
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership is organising an event for the launch of European Hydrogen Observatory, on 29 September 2023 from 10:00 - 12:00 CEST.
WG Documents
ERRIN Year in review 2022
The ERRIN Year in review 2022 is out! Read the report to see the numerous activities ERRIN and its members have been involved in throughout the year.
Letter on Cities' Concerns: Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities
The Smart Cities WG leaders developed a letter directed towards the Mission Manager and the Mission Secretariat of the Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, as a follow-up from the Smart Cities WG meeting on the Cities Mission and the Expression of Interest in November 2021.
Handbook on implementation and adoption barriers of urban living labs developing nature-based solutions
Developing Urban Living Labs is a relatively novel approach in urban areas, and consequently, there are many challenges and barriers that cities face during ULL adoption. This handbook, developed by the UNaLab project, aims to identify and explore some common barriers to the adoption of Urban Living Labs, and provide cities with a tool and an understanding of how to strategically address these barriers.
ERRIN Input to the City Mission Implementation Plan
Please find attached ERRIN's input to the Implementation Plan of the Mission on climate-neutral and smart cities.
ERRIN Contribution to the City Mission Interim Report and the Green Deal Call 1.2
Please find attached ERRIN's contribution to the interim report of the Mission on Climate Neutral and Smart Cities and the Green Deal Call 1.2.
Report by the Mission Board: 100 climate neutral cities by 2030 - by and for the citizens
The latest version of the interim report by the Mission Board on Climate Neutral and Smart Cities.
WG Related Content
Management Board elections 2023 – call for nominations launched!
Every year ERRIN holds elections for the Management Board. Becoming a member of the Board offers a great opportunity to develop ERRIN further and strategically lead the network’s activities. You can put forward your candidature for this year’s elections until 5 October.
City of Jyväskylä is looking for Transfer Partners for EUI Greening Cities call
Jyväskylä (FI) is looking for 3 Transfer Partners for project preparation for the Second Call for Proposals EUI - Innovative Actions in Topic 1: “Greening cities”. Deadline 24 September.
Regional Innovation Valleys: interest so far & matchmaking map
On 6 September, the European Commission published a matchmaking map showcasing European regions that have so far expressed their interest to become a Regional Innovation Valley (RIV) by applying to the call for Expression of Interest launched in March 2023. The call for EoI is still open for new submissions until 18 September 2023.
The New European Bauhaus consultations are open
After the Commission's proposal to launch a new EU Mission on New European Bauhaus, five consultations are now open to gather input on the objectives, implementation and financing of the Mission. The purpose of this targeted consultation is to gather the views of the professional community on the R&I needed for the transformation of our construction ecosystem, in order to identify and define the right components to design this potential future mission.
NetZeroCities Call for Pilot Cities
The NetZeroCities project, in which ERRIN is a partner, has opened a second Call for Pilot Cities. Mission Cities which are not yet part of the Pilot Cities Programme can apply to test and implement innovative approaches towards rapid decarbonisation. The Call for Pilot Cities is open until 6 November 2023 17.00 CET.
ERRIN Extraordinary General Meeting on 16 November 2023 – important announcement for members
All ERRIN members are invited to save the date for the ERRIN Extraordinary General Meeting, which will take place on 16 November 2023 in the ERRIN premises. The meeting is organised to make the necessary changes to the ERRIN Articles of Association and a minimum of 2/3 of the ERRIN members must be represented. Therefore, the engagement of each member is of key importance (participation is possible online for associate members).
Latest Updates
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
ERRIN’s agenda for 2024 unveiled
Every year ERRIN defines workstreams to guide its work throughout the year, closely linking to its core missions and priorities, as well as the key initiatives in the EU R&I agenda. Discover what has been planned for 2024 in ERRIN Working Groups and Task Forces.
- By Ewa Chomicz
Direction FP10 – rolling out ERRIN's activities in 2024
With the Commission proposal on the next EU Framework Programme for R&I (FP10) expected in mid-2025, this year will be key for setting the tone for further work on the topic and actively engaging in discussion. Have a look at an overview of ERRIN activities currently in the pipeline and opportunities to engage.
- By Silvia Ghiretti
Governance structures to implement the EU Missions: check the new Mission Data Platform
A new Mission Data Platform has recently been launched by TRAMI, the EU-funded project focusing on transnational cooperation on the Mission-approach and effective implementation of the EU Missions. This tool supports and links with ERRIN's work on multi-level governance in the Cities Mission within the NetZeroCities project.
- By Ewa Chomicz
Towards FP10 – ERRIN member survey to strengthen the ground for future work
This year is decisive when it comes to the development of the next European Framework Programme for R&I (FP10). To shape ERRIN's work on the topic, we encourage all members to fill in a survey about their regional work on FP10 and key issues to address. Receiving a broad view from the membership will be key for building the network's position.
- By Silvia Ghiretti
Clean Hydrogen Partnership 2024 calls are now open!
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership has officially launched its calls for proposals for 2024, providing a funding opportunity of €113.5 million to advance projects supporting the development of hydrogen technologies across the entire hydrogen value chain. ERRIN members can join a workshop hosted by Hydrogen Europe Regional Pillar on Wednesday, 7 February, focusing specifically on Hydrogen Valley calls.
- By Ewa Chomicz
ERRIN welcomes new network Chairs
The ERRIN Management Board has appointed three co-chairs to the network. The three postholders will work together as a troika to guide the network in a collaborative manner in the period of 2024-2025.