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
New Bauhaus Stories, Episode #1: Co-design of regeneration schemes
The NEBULA project is organising a series of peer learning activities to share experiences and insights about the New European Bauhaus. The first episode is entitled: “Co-creation of regeneration schemes’. It aims to discuss how two ongoing urban regeneration schemes are being co-designed in collaboration with citizens and various stakeholders from the construction value chain.
2nd European Mission Forum
The second edition of the European Mission Forum, taking place on 7 March in Brussels and co-organised by the TRAMI project under the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will showcase EU Mission-related achievements and present outcomes of nearly 2 years of TRAMI project activities. ERRIN's director, Pirita Lindholm, will speak at the session on national, regional and European Mission Governance.
CrAFting Tomorrow's Cities
Join 100 city representatives and policymakers from CrAFt Cities and the NEB Alliance to delve into the potential of local stakeholder collaboration to shape the future of climate-neutral cities.
Policy WG: Towards FP10 – internal member exchange
The Policy Working Group is organising an internal member exchange to discuss the regional activities planned around the next European Framework Programme for R&I, as well as the structuring and focus of ERRIN’s input to FP10. The event will take place in person at the ERRIN premises on 22 February from 14:30-16:00, with welcome coffee from 14:00.
#EURegionsWeek 2024 kick off meeting
The 22nd edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities will take place on 7-10 October 2024. The kick-off meeting for potential partners will take place on Thursday, 22 February, from 10:00 - 11:30 at the European Committee of the Regions. It is also possible to follow this meeting online.
High Level Conference: Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change
The European Commission is hosting a 2 day high-level conference, “Research Perspectives on the Health Impacts of Climate Change”. The event will bring together climate change and health researchers, funders and policymakers to reflect on the current challenges, priorities and needs for research and researchers in this area. The conference will take place online and in person on 19-20 February.
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
Deadline extension: application for the Cities Mission Twinning Learning Programme
Deadline extended until 7 June! Cities across the EU and Horizon Europe Associated Countries can apply to join the EU Cities Mission’s Twinning Learning Programme between 8 April and 7 June 2024. Facilitated by the NetZeroCities project, in which ERRIN is a partner, the Twinning Learning Programme will pair applicants with the second cohort of Pilot Cities, who act as innovation hubs to pursue activities related to rapid decarbonisation.
Enhancing Baltic Sea Region District Heating through Transnational Collaboration and Technological Innovations
A consortium of Danish and Ukrainian partners is searching for additional partners from Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia for the Interreg Baltic Sea call. The project will focus on fostering transnational collaboration, sharing best practices, and adopting innovative technologies to optimise district heating operations, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance energy efficiency. The deadline for expressions of interest is 17 April.
The third Call for Proposals of the European Urban Initiative- Innovative Actions is now open
The third EUI-Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) Call for Proposals is now open and will close on 14 October 2024 at 14.00 CEST, with an allocated indicative budget of EUR 90 million ERDF. The call is targeting innovative projects focusing on two topics: 'energy transition' and 'technology in cities'.
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.
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.
Latest Updates
- By Anonymous
Toulouse Métropole is looking for partners on urban greening and renaturing (HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-CITIES-01-01) for urban regeneration, resilience and climate neutrality
Toulouse Métropole (France, 800 000 inhabitants) is looking for a Consortium Coordinator for the joint call of Adaptation to Climate Change and Cities Missions: Urban greening and renaturing for urban regeneration, resilience and climate neutrality (HORIZON-MISS-2023-CLIMA-CITIES-01-01).
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
New European Bauhaus (NEB) Task Force – mapping
To reinforce the group and to strengthen the policy dialogue with the EU institutions, we are opening a call for members interested in joining the Task Force.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
Adaptation Mission Charter numbers over 300
The final list of the EU Mission on Adaptation Charter signatories and Friends has been published. Over 300 entities are now part of the community of practice on adaptation to climate change launched on 26 January 2023 in Brussels. The launch of the Mission Implementation Platform MIP4Adapt is planned for April.
- By Francesca Pozzebon
Applications open for Intelligent Cities Challenge
The Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) is a European Commission initiative supporting European cities towards the green and digital transition of their local economies, through Local Green Deals. ICC helps cities harness the power of cutting-edge technologies while improving their economic competitiveness, social resilience and the European citizens’ quality of life. Info sessions are planned for 15 and 28 March.
- By Gianpiero Petruzziello
53 Cities selected to join the NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme
NetZeroCities project, in which ERRIN is a partner, announced today the 53 selected cities for the NetZeroCities Pilot Cities Programme. Pilot Cities will be supported by €32 million in grants from the NetZeroCities project to experiment with new ways to rapidly decarbonise over the course of a two-year programme.
- By Lucy Hammond
DG RTD's EU Missions' Study
DG RTD has launched a study to collect insights on the missions' selection process, their governance, budget, instruments and actions as well as their focus and progress to date. The study seeks to identify what has worked well and less well, draw lessons, and make suggestions for improvement in the short and longer-term of EU Missions' implementation. The deadline to complete the survey is 15 March.