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
Horizon Europe Matchmaking event: Clusters 5 and 6 (part I)
ERRIN, together with the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian EU networks FINN-EU, Horizon Sustainable Oslo Region and Horizon Mid-Norway, is organising a tailored, virtual matchmaking event to assist public actors, research communities, businesses and NGOs in finding the right match for upcoming calls in clusters 5 and 6 of Horizon Europe. The registration is now open!
How to become a pioneering airport region in striving towards climate neutrality?
Helsinki EU Office, the City of Vantaa and the Regional Council of Helsinki-Uusimaa invite you to a virtual event 'How to become a pioneering airport region in striving towards climate neutrality? Discover the Green Deal Manifesto of the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport Area' on 12th May 2021.
Joint Smart Cities and Energy & Climate Change WG coffee meeting on Cluster 5
The Energy & Climate Change and Smart Cities Working Groups are happy to invite you to an interactive coffee meeting focusing on the calls in Cluster 5, Destinations 2, 3 and 4 of the Horizon Europe work programme. This informal discussion meeting will take place on 11 May between 10:00-11:30 CEST.
Co-creating the City: Design Cities and the New European Bauhaus
The City of Helsinki warmly invites you to a design discussion around the New European Bauhaus initiative: CO-CREATING THE CITY
The European Regions for Smart Communities Summit
Under the scope of the Portuguese Presidency of the European Council, ERRIN member Alentejo is one of the organisers of an upcoming summit of local and regional communities sharing a common vision for a smarter tomorrow.
Green and Digital Transition in the Recovery Plans: The sovereignty of technology and innovation
Organised by the Portuguese Innovation Agency and EARTO, this international event aims to debate the Green and Digital transition in the context of the recovery plans, with a focus on the role of technology and innovation in the development and promotion of regional, national and European tech capabilities.
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
The European Capital of Innovation Awards
In 2024, the European Innovation Council is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the European Capital of Innovation Awards. The competition rewards those European cities that are courageous enough to open their governance practices to experimentation and push the boundaries of technology for the benefit of their citizens. In addition to the monetary reward, the prize brings high visibility in the form of renewed public interest and increased media coverage. The deadline for submission is 18 June 2024, 17:00.
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.
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 Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
ERRIN event on the New European Bauhaus: open call for regional examples
ERRIN is organising a meeting on the New European Bauhaus initiative on 29 June. Express your interest if you have a concrete example of what is already happening on the ground related to the NEB and how this work could be further strengthened and accelerated through the Bauhaus initiative. Deadline for expressions of interest: 17th June.
- By Heidi Johansson
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.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
Exploratory study for the European Parliament on “Artificial Intelligence and urban development”
The CSIL, Centre for Industrial Studies, is carrying out an exploratory study for the European Parliament on “Artificial Intelligence and urban development”. We invite our members to provide their input to the study.
- By Agnieszka Wieczorek Jetha
New European Bauhaus Awards and New European Bauhaus Rising Stars
New European Bauhaus Awards and New European Bauhaus Rising Stars recognise existing achievements and support the younger generation to further develop emerging concepts and ideas. Deadline for applications: 31 May.
- By Heidi Johansson
Call for successful co-creation projects and activities
ERRIN, as a partner in the MOSAIC project, is collecting successful examples of co-creation projects or activities, which can be used as reference in the MOSAIC project’s research work around co-creation as Open Innovation. The deadline for submissions is Friday 14th May.
- By Hilary Webb
ERRIN's new SwafS project MOSAIC
Learn more about ERRIN's new project MOSAIC - Mission-Oriented SWafS to Advance Innovation through Co-creation. The project explores a Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) approach to Open Innovation, involving a range of different stakeholders.