Read the online version | ISSN 2600-0962

29 January 2021

Editorial

Welcome to 2021 – A year full of cautious hope!

Full of hope is not only Europe but the whole world as we look towards vaccinations and a return to our “normal” lives following a pandemic. However, it will take time... And in the meantime, we plug on!

We are delighted that we can announce the launch of the new Smart Cities Marketplace website. Have a look and let us know what you like and what you think we could do better – we are ready for your comments (info@eu-smartcities.eu). We have structured the website along the lines of our Explore, Shape & Deal slogan, offering information in the categories projects, sites, resources, insights and investors.

To further our replication efforts, we are drafting solution booklets on PEDs, Building-Integrated PVs and Energy Communities – all will be made available on the new website soon. This also includes one more policy paper by our own Han Vandevyvere (VITO) on the impact of the EU’s changing electricity market. Keep your eyes on our Twitter account and we will inform all of you when the publications are online.

The first in a series of three masterclasses was held in mid-January by the Smart Cities Marketplace in cooperation with the Celsius Initiative. It focused on the financing of District Energy Projects. If you want to take part in a future Masterclass on new topics? Write an email to matchmaking@eu-smartcities.eu with the title ‘Masterclass’ to begin the process.

As we said in our November 2020 newsletter, we keep our fingers crossed for a 2021 where we’ll be able to meet you all and have one to one discussions in person.

Your hopeful Smart Cities Marketplace team

Smart Cities Marketplace News

Explore, Shape & Deal: The new website

We have become a part of the Europa Server and our new website offers all the information from the former EIP-SCC Marketplace as well as the Smart Cities Information System.

Explore, Shape & Deal – Climate Neutral & Smart City Guidance Package – A Summary

The new summary version aims to help fast-tracking financially viable smart climate-neutral urban projects in an integrated and inclusive way. It provides a roadmap summarising the different stages of developing a coherent urban development process and the different steps of each stage providing checklists.

Explore & Shape: Watch Smart Cities in Action

Time to sit back and watch some of our videos on smart cities in action. We focus on people and their stories – bringing to life best practices and lessons learned from smart city projects.

News from the Action Clusters of the Smart Cities Marketplace

Explore & Shape: New Initiative “Citizen Control of Personal Data” in the Action Cluster Citizen Focus

On January 27th, 2021, the Smart Cities Marketplace has launched its new Initiative “Citizen Control of Personal Data” within the Action Cluster Citizen Focus.

Explore & Shape: Innovate UK funded project Park and Charge a considerable market opportunity

The Innovate UK funded project Park and Charge started in October 2019 with the aim to use existing car parks near residences of EV owners in order to provide them with Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE).

Explore: & Shape: Harmonising population density through energy transition and intelligent mobility

Energy decentralisation and intelligent mobility are key tools for harmonising the world’s population density, says Ricardo Poeta, co-lead of the IMET initiative in an interview with his colleagues. Ricardo looks at the energy transition from an ethical and societal perspective.

Beyond the Smart Cities Marketplace

Explore & Shape: EIT Urban Mobility launches its first MOOC

The EIT Urban Mobility launched its first MOOC, beginning the series of the online courses with a module about designing the cycling city. The focus is set on designing environments that cater to the needs of cyclists while considering the different contexts in every city and region.

Explore & Shape: First Italian Renewable Energy Community created by the end of 2020

Before Christmas 2020, the City of Magliano Alpi, Piedmont, created in compliance with the European RED-II Directive (adopted by the Italian Government on February 28th, 2020) the first Italian Renewable Energy Community (REC).

Explore & Shape: Launch of living-in.eu platform

The living-in.eu platform was launched during the CITYxCITY Festival and creates the conditions to upscale digital solutions for cities and communities based on iconic projects.

Explore, Shape & Deal: ERA-NET Cofund Urban Transformation Capacities

In the ERA-NET Cofund Urban Transformation Capacities (ENUTC) Call, 16 national research and innovation funding agencies, from 14 European countries (namely members of the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe), with the European Commission, have earmarked a global budget of 18.4 M€, in order to support transnational R&I projects.

Explore: Developing Energy Communities through Informative anD collEctive actions

DECIDE is a Horizon 2020 project that aims to gain a better understanding of how energy communities and energy efficiency services are established and managed.

Smart City Projects News

Explore: ATELIER Stories – From us to you

ATELIER project is introducing ATELIER Stories, a series of regular videos directly from the demo sites, providing insights on the work and the people behind the project. All videos will be published on social media and the website. Learn more and check out the first videos from Riga and Budapest.

Explore: Nantes publishes information sheets on their work throughout mySMARTLife

As part of mySMARTLife the Lighthouse City Nantes has been investing a lot in research and innovation over the past years. The city’s efforts to establish creativity in urban planning and sustainable development are paying off in a high quality of life for their citizens combined with a dynamic urban development.

Explore: POCITYF - Working group on smart heritage cities

The Smart Connected Communities for Positive Energy Blocks in Cultural Heritage Areas Working Group (WG) has been established to gather expertise on the topics of smart cities and communities and Positive Energy Blocks (balance between energy consumption and production at local level) in cultural heritage areas.

Explore: Defining Replicable Mobility and Energy Solutions with STARDUST Follower Cities

In December 2020, the STARDUST project organised two knowledge exchange and deployment activities for its Follower Cities with a predefined focus on sustainable mobility and energy and buildings.

Events

Explore & Shape: ICLEI World Congress 2021

Every three years, ICLEI hosts the ICLEI World Congress to showcase how cities, towns and regions across their network are advancing sustainable urban development worldwide. The ICLEI World Congress connects local and regional governments with their peers and strategic partners, and provides a platform for discussions that will inform and enhance their work.

Date

12/04/2021 - 16/04/2021

Venue

online

Explore: EU Green Week 2021

The European Green Week 2021 will be dedicated to the ‘zero pollution ambition’.

Date

31/05/2021 - 04/06/2021

Venue

online

Explore: URBIS SMART CITY FAIR

The URBIS Smart City Fair brings a smart combination of a trade fair and an exclusive conference programme, where leaders in the field of Smart City will be introduced. For two days dozens of representatives of Central European cities and municipalities and leaders in innovations will meet with one goal – to share experience, ideas and examples of specific solutions on how to correctly develop a Smart City concept in cities.

Date

02/06/2021 - 03/06/2021

Venue

online

Explore: European Week of Regions and Cities

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual four-day event during which cities and regions showcase their capacity to create growth and jobs, implement European Union cohesion policy, and prove the importance of the local and regional level for good European governance.

Date

11/10/2021 - 14/10/2021

Venue

online

Explore: UN Climate Change Conference COP26

The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Stay tuned for more information!

Date

01/11/2021 - 12/11/2021

Explore: Smart City Expo World Congress

The Smart City Expo World Congress comes back to Barcelona in 2021 with the 10th anniversary edition from 16.-18. November 2021. The lessons learned from last year will contribute to creating an enhanced hybrid, cross-platform experience. A combined physical event of Smart City Expo World Congress, Smart Mobility Congress and Retail & Brand Experience World Congress, with a digital platform affording endless opportunities.

Date

16/11/2021 - 18/11/2021

Smart Cities Marketplace. An initiative of the European Commission. Contact us under info@eu-smartcities.eu

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Catalogue number: MJ-AL-20-005-EN-N

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