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
Changemakers and Pioneers
The Changemakers and Pioneers event, hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University and the University of the West of Scotland at Scotland House, Brussels is a unique opportunity to showcase projects, hear of others’ experiences and broker new partnerships. There will also be a specific session updating on the UK's association to Horizon Europe/Plan B as well as the latest funding opportunities.
The CETPartnership Joint Call 2022 Info Day
The CETPartnership Joint Call 2022 is the first annual co-funded call under the CETPartnership and is co-funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Partnership scheme. This event, info day, is organised online.
Virtual info day for second Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital calls
The info day on the new calls launched under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) Digital will take place virtually on 25 October from 9.30 to 13.00 CEST.
Brussels Talks: How to be an innovative region in Europe?
As part of the event series Brussels Talks, NCBR – Business & Science Poland are organising the online event 'How to be an innovative region in Europe?', with ERRIN director Pirita Lindholm as the main speaker. The event will discuss regional innovations ecosystems, how to support R&I capacities at local and regional level and how to reduce the innovation divide. Furthermore, the support offered by current EU funded programmes and initiatives will be explored.
Smart Cities WG meeting: Initiatives supporting the implementation of the Cities Mission
This Smart Cities WG meeting aims to provide an overview of initiatives that can support cities in the implementation of the Cities Mission, while exploring links and synergies between them. The Mission Secretariat will present the current state of the mission as well as its outlook in terms of funding opportunities and links to other EU initiatives and policies. Finally, the ERRIN Secretariat will give an update on its work within the NetZeroCities project. The meeting will be a physical event taking place on 20 October between 15:00-17:00.
MOSAIC's roadmap for co-creation
The MOSAIC project, in which ERRIN is a partner, is organising a workshop for its Community of Practice to introduce the MOSAIC's Roadmap for co-creation in the context of the Cities Mission. The event will take place online 20 October 2022 from 10:00 to 12:00 CEST.
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
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.
Over 70 ERRIN member regions announced as Regional Innovation Valleys
On 19 June, the Commission announced the 151 regions identified as Regional Innovation Valleys following the call for EoI and calls for proposals in 2023. 75 successful regions come from ERRIN members. RIVs will aim to strengthen the regional innovation ecosystems, bridge the innovation gap and improve Europe's overall innovation performance. New calls for proposals under Horizon Europe are expected in 2025.
EIB's Circular City Centre (C3) initiative continues: support to thrive the circular transition in cities
The European Investment Bank is launching a new support phase of their Circular City Centre (C3) scheme. The C3 targets cities and the public sector promotors on their behalf and offers advice on their circular economy agenda and investment projects. Cities can benefit from guidance documents, resources, circular city advisory and capacity building workshops and project advisory services.
Latest Updates
- By Ebba Bjerkander
Energy communities – New business models for sustainable housing
Together with representatives from the European Commission, Housing Europe, the energy community company Via Europa and the Swedish municipalities of Lund and Örebro would like to invite you to a seminar on energy communities. There will be discussions on the role of energy communities from an EU perspective as well as sharing of knowledge and experience from two successful projects in Sweden. The seminar will take place in Nordic House, Rue du Luxembourg 3, 1000 Brussels on 11 June, 18:30-20:00.
- By Silvia Ghiretti
European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW)
The 2024 edition of the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) will take place from 11 to 13 June 2024 in Brussels and online. The theme for EUSEW 2024 will be “Net zero energy solutions for competitive Europe”.
- By Annelie Zapfe
Presentation of the Interregional Partnership on Virtual and Smart Cultural Tourism
You are cordially invited to a presentation on the Interregional Partnership on Virtual and Smart Cultural Tourism, spearheaded by our colleagues from Thuringia. The event will take place in Brussels on 05 May, 10:00 - 12:00.
- By Ewa Chomicz
2nd C4T Conference: Sustainability Transitions in Cohesion Policy: From Policy to Practice
The C4T Community of Practice is a community-based platform that aims to support EU Member States and regions to make a better use of EU funds for sustainability transitions. With this in mind, DG REGIO and the C4T Secretariat will be hosting the second edition of the C4T Conference "Sustainability Transitions in Cohesion Policy: From Policy to Practice" on 4 June 2024, in Brussels and online.
- By Rodolphe Doité
Living-in.EU WG Meeting - Information session on EU initiatives related to monitoring and measuring digital transformation
The Monitoring and Measuring Working Group of Living-in.EU is organising its first meeting in 2024 on Friday 31 May 2024, from 11:00 to 13:00 (CEST). This event will be held online only and will be open to all interested participants. The meeting will tackle the existing initiatives and projects implemented at European, regional and local levels to measure and monitor digital transformation.
- By Angèle Liaigre
Water4All Partnership - Green Week Partner Event 2024
In the frame of the Green Week, the Horizon Europe Partnership Water4All, together with the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden, organises an event to highlight the results of the first calls and highlight solutions for water resilience in cities and industries. The event will take place in Brussels on 30 May, 13:00 - 17:30.