On May 22, 2024, the European Urban Initiative (EUI) announced the results of its second call, which focused on three topics: greening cities, sustainable tourism, and harnessing talent in shrinking cities.
- 02 July 2024
The objective of the EUI Innovative Actions initiative is to foster innovative solutions and address pressing urban challenges across European cities. The initiative aims to support tangible, real-life examples of innovation - ranging from green infrastructure initiatives to sustainable tourism strategies and talent retention efforts in regions facing demographic challenges.
The second call under this initiative was launched during the second half of 2023 and received over 100 applications from 21 Member States. The 22 selected projects will be conducted in Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Spain (click here for more details). The projects will conclude in 2026 (3.5 years) and are currently within their initiation phase (June and November 2024). As from December 2024 the projects will start their implementation.
Four of these projects are related to harnessing talent in shrinking cities:
- Space 4 Talents: From the Polish city of Stalowa Wola, aims to transform the city into a hub for the space industry by creating modern facilities and educational programmes.
- EcoZani: From Greece aims to achieve a “just work transition” by empowering local talent and preserving socio-cultural identity through a zero-waste, zero-emission, zero-exclusion during carnival celebrations and supportive educational programmes.
- CARE-GET: Aims to transform the Bulgarian city of Haskovo into a sustainable MedTech Hub by leveraging local assets and nurturing talent to address skills gaps, youth unemployment, and “brain drain”.
- MAG-NET: aims to reverse talent drain in the cities of Celje and Prebold in Slovenia by creating an urban innovation network with a cross-sectoral hub, a digital platform, and urban learning labs to enhance education, employment, and quality of life.
Learn more about these projects by clicking on this link.