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
ERRIN Spring AGM 2024
ERRIN’s 2024 Spring Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on 20 June from 15:00 to 17:15 CEST, followed by networking drinks until 19:00. This year, the event will be held in person at Scotland House (Scotland Europa, Rdpt Robert Schuman 6, 1040 Bruxelles).
Training workshop: Making innovation work for society
The REINFORCING project will host a series of training workshops focused on enhancing innovation through co-creation. These workshops will cover identifying societal needs, methods for integrating co-creation into research and innovation, and developing skills for effective uptake and facilitation. The first workshop will be organised online on 18 June between 14:30-16:30 CET.
Tech4SmartCities 2024
Tech4SmartCities 2024 will be organised on 18 June, back to back with the GreenTech Forum Brussels. This B2B event focuses on sustainable and smart digital technologies for cities and invites interested stakeholders to discover business and cooperation opportunities in the fields of urban mobility, energy performance, sustainable construction, circularity, low carbon economy and digital transformation.
Save the Date for the Hydrogen Valleys Days in Brussels
The Clean Hydrogen Partnership and the European Commission are co-organising the Hydrogen Valleys Days which will take place on 17-18 June in Brussels.
Artificial Intelligence related strategies at local and regional level – ICT WG Meeting
With AI's growing importance and related challenges, the ERRIN ICT WG organised a meeting on regional digital strategies related to AI on Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
Macro-regional & Sea Basin Strategies Days 2024
Co-organised by DG REGIO and DG MARE (European Commission), the EU Macro-Regional and Sea Basin Strategies Days will take place from 12 to 14 June in Brussels.
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.
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.
Latest Updates
- By Ewa Chomicz
ERRIN welcomes new network Chairs
The ERRIN Management Board has appointed three co-chairs to the network. The three postholders will work together as a troika to guide the network in a collaborative manner in the period of 2024-2025.
- 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 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
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.