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
Living-in.EU Mayors' Digital Assembly 2023
The first Mayors’ Digital Assembly of the Living-in.EU movement will be organised on 15 June, in the framework of the Brussels Urban Summit (BUS), taking place from 12 to 15 June 2023.
Second Forum of the Mission adaptation to climate change
The annual Forum of the Mission adaptation to climate change will be the moment to take stock, identify issues, steer the Mission and define the path ahead.
Velenje on the Path to Climate Neutrality
The municipality of Velenje has won EU Green Leaf Award 2024, taking part in the Cities Mission, and faces a transition from a coal mining region to new green perspectives. We invite you to join us at the event where the mayor of Velenje will sign the letter of intent for EU Green Leaf 2024 on 8 June from 10:00-13:00.
DUT & ERRIN Policy WG workshop: Funding synergies – from theory to practice
Driving Urban Transitions Partnership and ERRIN Policy Working Group are organising a workshop on "Funding synergies – from theory to practice". The event will take place on 8 June from 9:30-11:30 CEST, focusing on operationalising synergies between cohesion and R&I funding. Participation is possible online and in-person at the ERRIN premises, for additional networking.
Transport Decarbonisation: Hydrogen's Role in Meeting Net Zero Ambitions
Scotland House Brussels and UK Transport in Europe are delighted to invite you to Scotland House for an in-person event on 6 June 2023. Currently one of the largest global emitters of greenhouse gases, the transport sector’s decarbonisation is absolutely crucial to achieving Net Zero ambitions.
EU Green Week Partner Event 2023: Local Actors driving the greening of VET
Gothenburg European Office invites you to an event showcasing local VET initiatives in the green transition, with highlights from the cities of Gothenburg, Copenhagen, and Turku. The hybrid event will take place on 6 June from 09:30-11:45.
WG Documents
Proposal for the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership
Attached is the approved concept for the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership.
ERRIN Input to the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership Consultation
ERRIN provided input to the public consultation to shape the European Partnership on Driving Urban Transitions.
ERRIN Contribution to the Mission on Climate Neutral and Smart Cities
Please find attached ERRIN's contribution to the Mission on Climate Neutral and Smart Cities.
ERRIN Draft Contribution to the Mission on Climate Neutral Cities
Please find attached ERRIN's first draft contribution to the Mission on Climate Neutral Cities.
Policy Recommendations - Regional R&I Ecosystems: Contributing to a competitive Europe
Going towards FP9, several reports - including the Lamy report - underlined the necessity to address the challenge of turning research knowledge into innovation and growth.
WG Related Content
ERRIN at the Cities Mission Conference and EURESFO 2024
This year, the Cities Mission Conference will take place in Valencia, Spain, on 25-26 June. ERRIN will participate in the conference as a partner in the NetZeroCities project, which manages the Cities Mission Platform. As the event is partly organised in collaboration with the European Urban Resilience Forum this year, ERRIN will also be there to promote its two Mission Adaptation projects: RESIST and Pathways2Resilience.
Join the Urban Agenda for the EU public consultation on the Greening Cities and Sustainable Tourism Partnerships
The Greening Cities Partnership and EU Sustainable Tourism Partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU invites you to reply to the public consultations on the draft Action Plans. You will have the opportunity to help shape the future of urban green infrastructure by providing your insights and feedback on key Actions aimed at enhancing urban biodiversity, climate adaptation, and residents' wellbeing in EU and address key challenges faced in the framework of urban tourism today.
Cities Mission Enabling City Transformation call now open!
The Cities Mission Platform has opened a call for the Enabling City Transformation Programme. The Enabling City Transformation call invites Mission Cities to propose innovative actions to overcome systemic challenges faced when implementing climate action. This 18-month programme aims to foster large-scale, city-wide transformation, building upon and progressing beyond the Pilot Cities programme. The call is open until 14 October.
Cascade funding available to deploy data spaces for cities and communities
The EU-funded project Data Spaces for Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities opened a call in June 2024 to select pilot projects for the deployment of Data Spaces.
Call for Applications for IN SITU Summer School
Applications are now open to join IN SITU Summer School, “Place-based creative solutions for cultivating caring and sustainable communities" (20-24 September 2024), and the IN SITU Conference "Horizons of Sustainability: The power of creative innovation for transformation of rural and non-urban futures" (25-27 September 2024), both held in the beautiful island of Zlarin, Croatia.
ERRIN two-page input on FP10 for the attention of the Expert Group
As the work towards the next EU Framework Programme for R&I (FP10) continues, ERRIN is pleased to share its two-page input for the attention of the Expert Group on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe. The document is a concise compilation of the reflections on FP10 done at ERRIN so far, highlighting topics of key importance. Work on a series of broader input papers is underway.
Latest Updates
- By Urszula Sokolowska
EWRC 2023: Energy transition – making local and regional solutions replicable for Europe
As part of EWRC, Pomorskie region is holding a session on Energy transition – making local and regional solutions replicable for Europe on 11 October from 09:30-10:30. This workshop will cover initiatives that are contributing to decarbonisation efforts at local/regional level and showcase projects that are establishing integrated local energy systems (energy islands).
- By Rodolphe Doité
5GSC Community Conference
On 11 October (9:30 to 16:30), the 5G for Smart Communities Support Platform is organising the 5GSC Community Conference in Brussels, bringing together key stakeholders, including mobile network operators, alternative operators, equipment manufacturers, and public authorities, to foster a dynamic exchange of ideas, insights and best practices.
- By Leila Kylliäinen
EWRC: From reactive to proactive cities on citizens' terms
The cities of Helsinki, Ghent, and Eurocities will hold a European Week of Cities and Regions session to shed light on what opportunities a proactive city can offer citizens. The session will take place on 11 October from 09:30-11:00 at the Jacques Delors building, Brussels.
- By Gianpiero Petruzziello
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.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
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.
- By Ewa Chomicz
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.