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
Urban and sustainable water solutions: tackling key challenges in the Nordic capital regions
The Nordic capital regions of Copenhagen, Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm are hosting a EU Green Week partner event on urban sustainable water solutions on 30 May from 10:00-12:00 at Rue Guimard 7, 1040 Brussels. The impact of climate change, pollution and challenges of management has put pressure on water resources all around Europe and is affecting the way of life for citizens. Join on 30 May to discuss how to tackle key challenges in sustainable water management.
Living Labs in EU Missions and Partnerships
ENoLL, the European Network of Living Labs, will hold an event on 'Living Labs in EU Missions and Partnerships', featuring expert speakers from the European Commission and successful Living Lab projects, to explore collaboration and synergies between Living Labs, innovation ecosystems connecting different stakeholders, and other EU initiatives, namely the EU Missions. The event will take place on 30 May.
Mobility Solutions Show
The Mobility Solutions Show is a professional event dedicated to urban and peri-urban mobility solutions. The event will take place on 29-30 May 2024, in Toulouse (France).
Widening the reach of EU Missions through EEA and Norway Grants
NCP4Missions, an EU project involving the National Contact Points (NCPs) for the five EU Missions, is organising a two-day meeting on 'Widening the reach of EU Missions through EEA and Norway Grants' on 27 and 28 May.
Policy & Smart Specialisation WGs meeting: Widening in FP10 and impact on cohesion policy post-2027
Widening and deepening engagement in R&I has been one of ERRIN's priorities. This joint Policy and Smart Specialisation Working Groups meeting will concentrate on widening as one of the key issues to address in the FP10 debate, considering also its impact on cohesion policy post-2027. The event will be held in person at the ERRIN premises on 22 May from 10:00-12:00.
EU Sparks for Climate: European Citizens Hackathon Championship
The EU Sparks for Climate initiative is organising a series of online hackathons in several countries to facilitate the collaborative creation of innovative technological and social solutions by teams of citizens and researchers in support of the EU Mission for Climate Neutral and Smart Cities and the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change.
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
Have your say on the New European Bauhaus Facility
The NEB Facility is a unique, multi-annual EU funding tool that aims to transform neighbourhoods through design for sustainability and inclusion. The European Commission is now inviting all interested parties to contribute to the consultation on defining the content of the New European Bauhaus Facility.
ERRIN Paper Series: Towards the 10th Framework Programme - EU Missions
ERRIN is pleased to launch a series of input papers on the 10th Framework Programme, with this paper focusing on EU Missions. ERRIN has been closely involved in the design and implementation of the EU Missions since their inception, making them a priority for the network. This input paper on the role of EU Missions in FP10 has been created with contributions from ERRIN members and their ecosystems.
3rd REINFORCING Open Call on EU Missions
The REINFORCING project has opened a call to support organisations and territories that actively contribute to the EU Missions by engaging relevant stakeholders, including citizens, in the R&I process and/or policies connected to one of the Missions. Successful proposals will receive up to 60,000 euros to implement a 12-month project. The deadline for submitting proposals is 26 September 2024.
Third Call for Proposals EUI - Innovative Actions
The third EUI-Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) Call for Proposals is launched now and will close on 14 October 2024 at 14.00 CEST with an allocated indicative budget of EUR 90 million ERDF. Each project can receive up to a maximum of 5 million EUR ERDF co-financing and project implementation should take place within a maximum period of 3.5 years.
The Forward-Looking Survey - European Urban Initiative
The European Urban Initiative (EUI) has launched a forward-looking survey to gather vital insights from urban practitioners and policymakers across Europe. This survey, hosted on Portico, aims to identify key trends, challenges, knowledge gaps and support needs in European sustainable urban development. The survey will be open from 6 June until 12 July.
ERRIN two-pager for European decision-makers
ERRIN is pleased to share a two-pager for the incoming European decision-makers, aiming to present the network and our value to the new MEPs, raising a voice for the importance of place-based R&I in the changing landscape. We encourage all ERRIN members to share the document with their MEPs to introduce ERRIN and the value of place-based R&I.
Latest Updates
- By Ewa Chomicz
Management Board elections 2023 – results
Following the call for nominations for ERRIN Management Board held between 20 September and 5 October, we are happy to announce the nominated Management Board members. The five nominees will be approved as new Management Board members at the ERRIN Extraordinary General Meeting on 16 November.
- By Rodolphe Doité
Release of LORDIMAS, a digital maturity assessment tool for Regions and Cities
During the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023, a dedicated session was organised to launch LORDIMAS, a digital maturity assessment helping local and regional governments to understand where they are in their digital transformation journey. The tool is now accessible online.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
ERRIN at the EWRC 2023
The European Week of Cities and Regions (EWRC) has come to an end. This year’s edition has been particularly rich in ERRIN’s involvement, with the Secretariat co-organising four events, promoting projects, and the Working Group Leaders participating in several panel discussions.
- By Heidi Johansson
Smart Cities WG: Call for new leaders
The Smart Cities Working Group is looking for two new co-leaders to join Turku-Southwest Finland, Cities Northern Netherlands and Stavanger in steering the WG activities and priorities. The deadline for expressing interest in this role is 16 November.
- By Gianpiero Petruzziello
Ten European cities awarded with the EU Mission Cities Label
On 12 October, the European Commission awarded the first ten European cities with the Label of ‘EU Mission Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities’ for their plans to achieve climate-neutrality by 2030. The EU Mission Label symbolises a crucial milestone, not only recognising the comprehensive plans of these cities to achieve climate neutrality by 2030 but also serves as a catalyst for facilitating access to both public and private funding to support these ambitious goals.
- By Gianpiero Petruzziello
Multi-stakeholder engagement showcases the path to climate neutrality at European Week of Regions and Cities
On 10 October, a collaborative and interactive event was jointly hosted by ERRIN, MOSAIC and the European Commission during the European Week of Regions and Cities. This session brought together experts and stakeholders from across Europe to explore the significant role of multi-stakeholder engagement in advancing the journey towards climate neutrality for European cities.