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.
Future Related ERRIN Working Group Meetings
Cities Mission – focus on sustainable urban mobility
The meeting organised by the Transport and the Smart Cities WGs will focus on the proposed mobility strategies in the Climate Cities Contracts and the measures needed to reduce emissions.
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
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).
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.
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.
WG Documents
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.
Proposal for the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership
Attached is the approved concept for the Driving Urban Transitions Partnership.
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
Apply for the European Green Capital & European Green Leaf Awards 2026
European cities committed to sustainability are encouraged to apply for the 2026 edition of the European Green Capital and Green Leaf Awards before the deadline on 30 April 2024. The Awards promote and reward the efforts of European towns and cities that strive to reduce their impact on the local and global environment, improving the quality of life for their inhabitants.
Express your interest in the 3rd Interreg Europe call via the ERRIN Project Development Tool
Interreg Europe's 3rd call for proposals, launched on 20 March, supports interregional cooperation projects addressing common regional development challenges. Organisations can use the ERRIN Project Development tool to express interest and find partners. The call is open until 7 June 2024.
Partner Search Interreg Europe – Tuscany Region - Exchange of experiences on affordable housing enhancement
Project Title - Affordable Housing Enhancement and Regional Oversight for European Sustainability (HEROES) The project aims to equip authorities with the necessary tools and knowledge to establish a sustainable housing policy that harmonizes public and private efforts within comprehensive planning.
Horizon Europe strategic plan 2025-2027 is out
On 20 March, the Commission adopted the second Horizon Europe strategic plan. The plan sets out three key strategic orientations for the EU's research and innovation funding for the last three years of the programme (2025-2027). Find out what novelties the new strategic plan brings.
23 new Mission Cities awarded the Mission Label
During a dedicated session at the EU Research & Innovation Days, 23 new cities part of the EU Mission on 100 climate-neutral and smart cities were awarded the Mission Label for their plans to achieve climate neutrality by 2030. ERRIN is pleased to see that 15 cities are located in ERRIN member regions.
Coventry University Open for MSCA PF Fellows
Marie Skłodowska Curie (MSCA) European Postdoctoral Fellowships - If you are looking to grow in your research profile, keen to boost your career prospects and ready to be part of our thriving research environment, Coventry University invites you to get in touch about suitability for the following MSCA postdoctoral European fellowships at our Coventry campus.
Latest Updates
- By Heidi Johansson
Third NetZeroCities call for Pilot Cities now open!
NetZeroCities has opened its third and final call for cities to join the two-year Pilot Cities Programme. The call is open only to Mission Cities who are not yet part of the Pilot Cities Programme. The deadline for applications is 18 March 2024.
- By Silvia Ghiretti
Exploring Synergies between European Partnerships and EU Missions – Mutual Learning Event
ERRIN and the TRAMI project are organising a Mutual Learning Event aiming to explore synergies between European Partnerships and EU Missions. The event will take place on Wednesday 7 February from 9:00 to 12:00 (CET) at the NCBR Brussels Office, Rue Belliard 40, Brussels.
- By Silvia Ghiretti
Call for new Transport WG leaders
The Transport Working Group is looking for two new co-leaders to join Ile-de-France, Stuttgart and Aragon in steering the WG activities and priorities. Apply by Wednesday 24 January!
- By Admin Admin
Innovation Fund calls to drive net-zero technologies open until April 2024
With a budget of €4 billion, the Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting innovative projects that contribute to the EU’s green transition goals. The Innovation Fund 2023 calls covering sectors including decarbonisation, hydrogen, cleantech manufacturing, and maritime and energy-intensive industries are open until 9 April 2024, 17:00 (CET).
- By Mid-Norway European Office
Seeking collaboration on Mission on Climate Adaptation calls
SINTEF has been the host of a national private-public-research partnership in Norway on risk reduction through climate adaptation of buildings and infrastructure in the last 8 years. Now SINTEF is interested in participating in a European partnership for further development of innovations and knowledge from this research centre.
- By Heidi Johansson
Scalable Cities Action Grant: third call for proposals open
The third call for proposals of the Scalable Cities Action Grant is open until the end of January 2024. The grant aims to financially support cities and ad-hoc partnerships that wish to replicate measures that were successfully implemented through Smart Cities and Communities projects to facilitate the transition towards climate neutrality.