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.

Next Working Group Meetings

Future Related ERRIN Working Group Meetings

transport

Transport WG meeting: Decarbonisation and Resilience of the Transport Sector

Gaia Ialisa Marotta

This meeting will focus on the decarbonisation and resilience of the transport sector, highlighting key strategies, investment plans, and collaborative efforts necessary to achieve sustainability

Last Working Group Meetings

Previous Related ERRIN Working Group Meetings

Insights into the Hydrogen Valleys Roadmap

Insights into the Hydrogen Valleys Roadmap

Silvia Ghiretti

On 11 December, ERRIN Energy and Climate Change Working Group and the S3 Hydrogen Valleys Partnership are jointly organising a meeting for their members and their regional stakeholders on the

European University Alliances and their commitment to support the connection  of regional innovation ecosystems

European University Alliances and their commitment to support the connection of regional innovation ecosystems

Astrid Hannes

In September 2022 the SEFS Working Group discussed with the European Commission and regional examples the relationship between the then 44 European Universities and the S3-strategies of the regions

Digital tools for smart cities

Digital tools for smart cities

Heidi Johansson

In this joint Smart Cities and ICT Working Group meeting, members will gain insights into digital funding opportunities for cities and regions, including the ‘Towards networked Local Digital Twins in

WG Related Events

WG Related Events

European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2025

European Sustainable Energy Week 2025 - EU’s largest annual event on renewables and energy efficiency - will take place on 10-12 June 2025 in Brussels and online.

Final Conference for the H2020-project Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods in Europe

Final conference for the H2020-project Syn.ikia - Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods in Europe.

European Climate Pact Flagship Event 2025 – Together for Action

The European Commission is organising the European Climate Pact Flagship Event 2025 on 19 March, where climate action takes center stage. This event will bring together stakeholders from across Europe to accelerate climate action, highlight successful initiatives and forge new partnerships for a sustainable future.

Transport WG meeting: Decarbonisation and Resilience of the Transport Sector

This meeting will focus on the decarbonisation and resilience of the transport sector, highlighting key strategies, investment plans, and collaborative efforts necessary to achieve sustainability goals. Representatives from DG RTD and DG CLIMA will be invited to provide insights into the latest policies and programmes supporting sustainable and resilient transport infrastructure.

Mutual Learning Event on “Unleashing a Research Agenda for the ‘EU Mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities’ – the role of research in the implementation of the Mission”

The NetZeroCities project, in which ERRIN is a partner, is organising a Mutual Learning Event on the role of research in the implementation of the Cities Mission. The event will take place on 18 February, 2025, 13:00–16:00, at the ERRIN offices (Rue du Luxembourg 3, Brussels) and online. The session is targeted at practitioners who have a good understanding of the Cities Mission in general, as well as the conditions for researchers to engage with it.

Mutual Learning Event on the role of regions in the implementation of the Cities Mission

The NetZeroCities project, in which ERRIN is a partner, is organising a Mutual Learning Event on the role of regions in the implementation of the Mission '100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030' on 13 February, from 10:00 to 13:00, at the NCBR office in Brussels. The event is co-organised with the CapaCITIES project and will gather representatives from Mission Cities, regional authorities hosting Mission Cities, and the European Commission (DG RTD and DG REGIO) to discuss how regions can more effectively support cities in their climate neutrality efforts.

WG Documents

WG Documents

Case studies: The role of regions in the Mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030

As part of its work within the NetZeroCities project, ERRIN has developed three case studies showcasing the critical role that regions can play in the EU Mission on climate-neutral and smart cities, using examples from ERRIN member regions. With their climate-related competencies and responsibilities within national governance structures, and role in implementing national policies and facilitating financing, regions are uniquely positioned to support cities in achieving their climate neutrality goals.

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. 

WG Related Content

WG Related Content

Looking for Higher education institutions with focus on physical experiences and learning for Erasmus+ cooperation.

The project proposal aims to make better learning environment through using sensor-based data to understand environments and user reactions while they experience a physical space and adapt the physical environment based on this feedback. This technology can be integrated into existing classrooms or used to create new learning environments to tailor the experience based on students' reactions. For example, it can help educators identify when students are losing focus or feeling disengaged, allowing them to adjust the environment or lesson flow accordingly.

The Competitiveness Compass for the EU is out

On 29 January the European Commission presented the Competitiveness Compass, the first major initiative of this mandate providing a strategic framework to steer the Commission's work. The Compass is composed of three transformational imperatives - innovation, decarbonisation and security - to boost competitiveness, and five horizontal enablers necessary to underpin competitiveness across all sectors.

Nine cities from ERRIN member regions selected for the Cities Mission Twinning Learning Programme

Among the 24 cities selected for the third cohort of the EU Cities Mission Twinning Learning Programme, nine come from ERRIN member regions. This brings the total number of ambitious cities participating in the peer-learning programme to 80, all committed to accelerating their climate journey and achieving climate neutrality by 2050 the latest. The NetZeroCities project, in which ERRIN is a partner, facilitates the Twinning Learning Programme.

A joint call for stronger political leadership of the EU Missions

ERRIN, alongside Eurocities, ICLEI Europe, Energy Cities and Resilient Cities Network, has sent a joint letter to Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, urging her to take political ownership of the EU Missions as part of her leadership on Europe’s Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.

ERRIN is looking for a Project and Policy Manager (Climate Neutral and Smart Cities)

ERRIN is looking for a Project and Policy Manager to join its Secretariat! The successful candidate will work on a range of projects and policy activities related to the Mission on Climate Neutral and Smart Cities and support ERRIN's work on influencing the EU Missions' implementation and further design. The deadline to apply is 12 February.

Looking for a city to join a project for the call HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-01-01

At Euro-Funding we are preparing a proposal for the call HORIZON-MISS-2024-CIT-01-01 (with deadline 11/02/2025), we are looking to integrate some additional city(ies) from the following network https://netzerocities.eu/mission-cities/ to our project which would be focused on mobility use case, please contact us if you are interested

Latest Updates

  • By Silvia Ghiretti

Launch of the Clean Hydrogen Partnership 2025 Calls

​​​​​​​The Clean Hydrogen Partnership has officially launched its 2025 call for proposals, providing €184.5 million to fund innovative projects to advance clean hydrogen technologies. Among the 26 topics included in the call, particular attention is drawn to two Hydrogen Valleys calls that emphasise an integrated and ecosystem-driven approach.

  • By Rodolphe Doité

LORDIMAS Call for experts - Contribute to the future of digital maturity assessment

The Monitoring and Measuring Working Group of Living-in.EU launched a Call for Experts, open until 14 February 2024, to select up to 20 experts, from the Living-in.EU Community, to work on LORDIMAS, an interactive tool helping local and regional governments to understand where they are in their digital transformation journey.

  • By Zoé Thomazeau

New European Bauhaus opportunity for small municipalities

The European Commission has launched two opportunities for 2025 under the New European Bauhaus initiative, including the NEB Boost for Small Municipalities and the New European Bauhaus Prizes. The application deadline is 14 February 2025.

  • By Rodolphe Doité

Open Call to Chair the Digital Assembly of the Living-in.EU movement

The Digital Assembly is the political body of Living-in.EU, acting as an advisory board. It meets once a year to collect and discuss the political priorities of the local and regional authorities (LRAs) that are signatories to the community. As the current mandate of the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly leadership is coming to an end, the movement is launching a call for applications for its renewal.

  • By Angèle Liaigre

Discover the ORTESE project - A digital twin to design urban future-proof energy systems

In the Northern Netherlands, the municipality of Emmen is looking at how to transform its energy system in a more efficient and sustainable way, via the use of the digital twin technology. For both companies and inhabitants, the municipality aims optimize its energy supply and provide with an innovative perspective to accelerate the local energy transition. This is at the core of what is called: the ORTESE project. Want to hear more about it? Then check this out.

  • By Anett Ruszanov

Concentrated solar power plant facilities wanted

Aston University is looking for concentrated solar power plant facilities (CSP – research or industry) in MS or associated countries that have thermal energy storage and a power block (electricity production). The proposal aims to develop a hybrid-model-based digital twin for CSP systems by integrating data-driven and physics-based methodologies at the component level.