Living in EU feed

Connecting People for the Twin Transition

Michelle Gonzalez Torres — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 10:18:24 +0000

Connecting People for the Twin Transition

Living-in.EU Networking Reception

Michelle Gonza… 10 September 2024

Following the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly, Living-in.EU is excited to host a special networking event titled "Connecting People for the Twin Transition." This event will take place on Wednesday, 9 October, from 17:00 to 19:00 at Scotland House, Rond-point Schuman, 6; 1000 Brussels.

The networking reception is open to participants of the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly as well as our wider community of stakeholders and representatives from European institutions. It will serve as a unique opportunity to discuss the intersection of digital and green transitions, and how these can be leveraged at European, regional, and local levels to foster sustainable development.

This reception is designed to:

Link the Digital & Green Transitions.
Facilitate discussions with diverse stakeholders on the opportunities and challenges of these twin transitions.
Showcase inspiring, practical stories of successful initiatives that integrate digital and environmental sustainability.

The event offers a platform to explore how digitalization can complement efforts toward a greener future and build connections that support impactful collaborations.

Registration

Please note that registration for the networking reception is separate from the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly.

To join us for this insightful and dynamic event, register by filling out the form.

We look forward to connecting with you and working together to advance Europe’s Twin Transition!

BDTI Skills Studio is launched!

Gabriela Ruseva — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 10:01:23 +0000

BDTI Skills Studio is launched!

The Big Data Test infrastructure is launching a Skills Studio - a place for public administrators to learn essential data skills for free

Gabriela Ruseva 20 August 2024

We are thrilled to announce the launch of BDTI Skills Studio, a place to learn essential data skills for free. Kicking off in September, we have three workshops lined up. These workshops are dedicated to public sector actors and engaged citizens who want to learn how to use data to improve public services.

4th of September -> “An Introduction to geospatial analytics” Read more here.

11th of September -> “An introduction to statistics” Read more here.

18th of September ->” An introduction to graph analytics” Read more here.

"Local digital twins can promote transparency and accountability in urban decision-making"

Lucia Garrido — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 08:39:46 +0000

"Local digital twins can promote transparency and accountability in urban decision-making"

An interview with Patricio Reyes, Head of Urban Data Science within the Data Analytics and Visualization Group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center

Lucia Garrido 26 July 2024

Imagine exploring a city and simulating urban interventions with just a few clicks. This is the promise of local digital twins—a virtual mirror reflecting the heartbeat of urban spaces. In a world where the availability of data offers us valuable insights, these digital replicas offer cities a powerful lens through which to envision their future and navigate the complexities of modern urban life.

Patricio Reyes is the head of Urban Data Science within the Data Analytics and Visualization Group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. He is currently leading vCity ( https://www.vcity.tech ) a project to develop digital twins for cities. Patricio explains in this interview the potential of Local Digital Tools in promoting transparent, informed decision making to design the cities of the future.

What are the primary reasons why cities should consider implementing a Local Digital Twin? What key benefits can they expect?

Generally, one of the great benefits—and also one of the great challenges—of Local Digital Twins (LDTs) is their ability to monitor the city's "pulse", serving as a tool for understanding the pulse of the neighbourhoods, which is key to urban decision-making.

LDTs should be included in cities' digitalisation plans, within the process of transparency and support for urban decision-making. They should be viewed as tools designed to integrate different layers of information. In addition, because of their evidence-based approach, LDTs can effectively promote transparency and accountability in urban decision-making.

Can you explain how a Local Digital Twin works and its significance in urban planning and management?

In very simple terms, an LDT is a virtual replica of the city designed to simulate hypothetical interventions. This allows us to analyse and compare scenarios for a review of the impacts of each intervention by virtualizing the "trial and error" process, bringing obvious benefits to cities and the urban planning process in particular.

Given the impact on public policies, urban planners, and by extension the LDT, need a broad and diverse view of the city. By combining information, the LDT provides models that help understand urban processes and generate relevant insights.

Could you elaborate on the practical steps involved in developing and implementing a Local Digital Twin for a city? What role do different actors play?

As mentioned earlier, a crucial part of a Local Digital Twin is its information about the city to understand its dynamics. Sensor data alone is not sufficient. Our approach emphasises understanding what the inhabitants need and want from their city. The diversity of information allows problems to be addressed from different perspectives.

In addition to information, another important part of a Local Digital Twin is the models that generate relevant insights based on the collected data. All of this is presented on a platform where urban planners can interact, ask questions, and create "what-if scenarios" to review the implications of each in their city.

Thus, the citizens, through participatory processes, share their vision of the city they want, which is incorporated into the LDT. In turn, urban planners and policymakers use the LDT to simulate multiple intervention possibilities.

How does the integration of various data sources and technologies play a role in the effectiveness of a Local Digital Twin? How does the concept of data privacy and security factor into the development and use of Local Digital Twins?

This is a very important topic that we believe should be integral to the development process of Local Digital Twins. At the Living-in.EU Digital Forum held in Rotterdam a few months ago, it was emphasised that digitalisation must be people-centred.

This involves, for example, understanding that people need to comprehend the processes by which decisions are made in their city. Initiatives like the Algorithm Register (https://www.algorithmregister.org/), promoted by the Living-in.EU community, aim in this direction. Similarly, LDT models must be as transparent as possible to the public, allowing the community to audit the process. Here, transparency plays a fundamental role.

What are some successful examples or case studies of cities that have effectively leveraged LDTs to enhance their urban environments?

While it may not be the most impactful example, it is quite illustrative: Traffic control centres help cities manage dynamic, multifactorial processes that are difficult to analyse without technology. Authorities can understand congestion problems and offer solutions, thanks to their broad view of the city.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the future trends and developments in the field of Local Digital Twins for cities?

In the future, I would like to see the democratisation of Local Digital Twins adoption by cities. LDTs will be understood as part of the process of "thinking the city," not just as a trendy technology. Smart cities are not those with the most sensors but those that know how to make well-considered decisions with and for the citizens.

Image: Proximity Cities. vCity & BSC Data Viz Group (Guillermo Marín – Jerónimo Calderón)

The Smart Communities Network met online with the European Commission on 28 June 2024

Lucia Garrido — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 08:19:22 +0000

The Smart Communities Network met online with the European Commission on 28 June 2024

Read the main takeaways here

Lucia Garrido 25 July 2024

On 28 June 2024, the Smart Communities Network held an online onboarding meeting with the European Commission to discuss future collaboration.

The Smart Communities Network is being established to connect the European Union with the local level in all 27 EU Member States. Currently, the network comprises associations with a local outreach from 18 of the 27 EU Member States, aiming for other Member States to join soon.

During the meeting, the members were introduced to each other and informed about the initiative, which is part of a European Commission project to help cities and communities undergo the digital transformation and improve efficiency, by harnessing from data-driven decision-making, Local Digital Twins, bringing finally economic growth in the digital field.

Attendees, including the members of the Smart Communities Network, project partners, experts and representatives of the European Commission discussed how the collaboration will take shape in the upcoming months. These are the main takeaways:

Highlights of the project:

The project promotes Local Digital Twins (LDTs) to support cities and communities in their digital transformation by leveraging advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, data spaces and simulations. Community support is a key aspect. The project is developing a Procurement Helpdesk to assist cities and municipalities in assessing their digital maturity, creating digitalisation roadmaps and procuring necessary technologies to become smart.

Collaboration details:

Discussions focused on the Smart Communities Network's role and benefits, as well as the legal instrument that will formalise cooperation between the European Commission and network members.

Country-specific sessions:

Hybrid dissemination sessions and online training sessions are planned across all 27 EU Member States to raise awareness and readiness within communities. These sessions are crucial for helping communities understand and adopt digital transformation practices. An informative package will be shared to define and explain the practical aspects of collaboration to organise these sessions.

Experience sharing:

A representative from the Dutch association VNG –the network’s pioneer that has already organised its training and dissemination sessions- shared the experiences and lessons learned. Despite significant interest, high no-show rates suggested the need for stronger engagement strategies. Technical sessions saw success due to hands-on content. It was emphasised that local maturity levels should be considered and both technical experts and policymakers need to be engaged.

Promoting Lordimas:

Lordimas was introduced to the participants, a self-assessment tool for cities and regions to assess their digital maturity. A demonstration of the tool was provided and members were requested to help with proofreading the interface in their local languages.

Introducing LDT CitiVERSE EDIC:

The European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) initiative was explained, highlighting its role in developing multi-country projects and establishing a common understanding of the European CitiVERSE. The initiative aims to transfer knowledge, avoid duplications and promote collaboration across cities and regions.

Information sharing and communication:

The functionalities of the Living-in.EU website were demonstrated, showcasing tools for internal and external communication, document sharing and event updates. Participants were encouraged to explore the platform and provide feedback for improvement in upcoming feedback sessions.

Interactive Q&A session:

The Q&A session addressed concerns such as the division of labour for network members, setting realistic engagement targets and the importance of funding for digital initiatives. Discussions included how regional development agencies can support multiple communities and the need to maximise outreach efforts.

Next steps:

The next network meeting will be held in a hybrid format at the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in Barcelona in November 2024. Further details will be shared closer to the date. It was a great event to meet all the committed network members, speakers and the European Commission! Looking forward to our next event in Spain.

The European data space for smart communities call for pilots is open!

Gabriela Ruseva — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 07:23:50 +0000

The European data space for smart communities call for pilots is open!

Submit your proposal until the 31 August

Gabriela Ruseva 10 July 2024

The European Data Space for Smart Communities launched its first call for pilots in June 2024. The Data Space is an EU-wide action creating a cross-sectorial data space for governments on all levels and their providers to deliver the best possible services to their citizens by enabling interoperability of data. The ultimate goal is to make the best use of data to reach critical goals, including the Green Deal.

Aim of the Call for Pilots

The Call for Pilots aims to advance the development and implementation of data spaces. There will be three rounds of the call in 1) June-August 2024 2) September – November 2024 and 3) December 2024 - February 2025. The projects should build on and evolve the governance and technical blueprint of the data space for smart communities. The blueprint was established by the DS4SSCC preparatory action, which comes out of joint efforts of the Living-in.EU movement.

Scope and Pre-conditions

The pilot consortia must create new data services from the data sharing across at least two heterogeneous areas specified below, but can also include other European Green Deal domains:

Predictive traffic management / sustainable mobility planning.
Data-services related to weather, climate and extreme weather events.
Management of energy flows in a city/community specific context.
Zero pollution actions (e.g. air, water, soil, pollution or waste).
Any other domain falling under the New European Bauhaus initiative (urban design, building management, public services, nature-based solutions, amongst others).

Successful applications must meet specific pre-conditions, indicated below:

At least two local or regional public administrations from different EU member states and/or Digital Europe Programme Associated countries. All entities are subject to restrictions due to security reasons. An entity can only be awarded once as Lead Partner.
Applicants need to bear at least 50% of the project costs as direct co-financing. The maximum co-funding from the programme is 1 500 000 euros per pilot (max co-funding per entity 1 000 000 euros).
Proposals should include cross-sectorial (and -border, if feasible) data sharing, and applicants should be sufficiently digitalised - a data platform, digital twin or emerging data space should already be in place in the city/community. The technical solutions should comply with MIM1, MIM2 and MIM6 and be aligned with the Data Spaces Building Blocks & recommended standards and implementations.
The business case should be sufficiently elaborated, with a clear value proposition.
Proposals should be aligned with ethical principles, demonstrated in the Ethical and Data Protection Self-Assessment and legally compliant.

This approach ensures shared investment and commitment from both the EU and the applicants, reflecting partnership and joint responsibility. Co-financing must be monetary and specified in the pilot budget. All activities must comply with regulations, including state-aid rules and avoiding double funding.

Submissions and Timeline

The open Calls for Pilots are organised in three rounds. The deadline to submit a proposal for the first round is 31 August 2024 at 23:59h CEST.

More information and how to apply can be found on the dedicated Open call for Pilots page and in the Call for Pilots Manual. Watch the recording of the Info Session on the Call for Pilots here.

Call for expression of interest to become an expert evaluator

If you are not planning to apply, but you have relevant expertise and knowledge, consider applying as an expert evaluator to ensure that the call funds quality proposals with real impact. More information on the conditions to become expert evaluator.

Living-in.EU Digital Assembly 2024: registration open!

Michelle Gonzalez Torres — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 08:02:40 +0000

Living-in.EU Digital Assembly 2024: registration open! Michelle Gonza… 30 June 2024

During the European Week of Regions and Cities 2024, the Living-in.EU movement will organise its second EU Digital Assembly in Brussels. The event will be on Wednesday 9 October 2024, from 14:30 to 16:00, in the Committee of the Regions (Jacques Delors building).

You can register to the event on the European Week of Regions and Cities website through this link.

Webstreaming should be available for this session and will be communicated at a later stage.

What is the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly?

The Living-in.EU Digital Assembly is the political advisory body of the Living-in.EU movement. It is co-chaired by Mayor Lluïsa Moret Sabidó, from the City of Sant Boi de Llobregat, and CoR Member Mirja Vehkaperä, Chair of the City Board of Oulu. It meets once per year, and the annual event is the opportunity for all EU mayors, regional presidents, and other stakeholders to debate the political priorities of the movement and to provide strategic orientation in support of the twin green and digital transformation of EU cities and communities.

An official signatory ceremony organised

The event is dedicated to Living-in.EU current and potential signatories. If your city/region/member state is interested in signing the "Join, Boost, Sustain" Declaration, please contact Gabriela Ruseva, project coordinator of Go Li.EU project at gabriela.ruseva@eurocities.eu and Rodolphe Doité, Policy and project Manager at ERRIN at rodolphe.doite@errin.eu.

You can find more information on the event concept note here.

Draft Agenda

14:30 – 14:40 Welcome - Chair of the Board Mirja Vehkaperä, City of Oulu, Member of the CoR and Mayor Lluïsa Moret i Sabido, Sant Boi de Llobregat

14:40 – 14:50 Keynote speech Committee of the Regions representative

14:50 – 15:25 Panel discussion – Digital innovation ecosystem with a people-centred approach, moderated by Andre Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities

15:25 – 15:50 Exchange with the room and ‘Join, Boost, Sustain’ Declatation’s signing ceremony

15:50 – 16:00 Conclusion European Commission

Info day: Towards networked Local Digital Twins in the EU

Gabriela Ruseva — Fri, 28 Jun 2024 19:41:06 +0000

Info day: Towards networked Local Digital Twins in the EU Gabriela Ruseva 28 June 2024

On 16 September 2024, the European Commission is organising an Info day to present the Digital Europe call for proposals on Networked local digital twins in the EU (DIGITAL-2024-CLOUD-DATA-AI-07-DIGITALTWIN). This online event will be the occasion for the Commission to present the next funding opportunity for Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities.

As part of the new European AI-Office, CNECT.A5 Artificial Intelligence for Societal Good will host the event. There will be the opportunity to network and present your ideas and proposals!

The call is launched on 4 July and will be open until 21 November.

Further information on the call.

Indicative Agenda

10:00 - Welcome and introduction
10:05 - Topic presentation
10:20 - Q&As from the audience
10:30 - Online networking – presentation of participants’ ideas for proposals
11:30 - Conclusions

Please register if you want to attend this event (you will need an EU login to register).

In the process of registration, you need to indicate if you would like to present your idea/statement/intention for a proposal during the networking session. In case you do, please prepare one slide with your idea and consortium.

We will try to accommodate every speaker while keeping time for networking. The Commission may select speakers according to the time available.

AI Act: What Legal Implications for Cities, Regions, and Communities Across the EU?

Viviana Demonte — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 15:01:01 +0000

AI Act: What Legal Implications for Cities, Regions, and Communities Across the EU?

Artificial Intelligence Act

Viviana Demonte 19 June 2024

The Artificial Intelligence Act, a flagship legislative proposal by European legislators, will officially enter into force in August 2024. This Act is pivotal for the European digital strategy, not only because it introduces regulations and obligations for high-risk and general-purpose AI systems (GPAI) for the first time, but also because it underscores the importance of AI systems for European digital innovation.

Public authorities will be among the stakeholders most impacted by this legislation. Cities and regions across the EU are crucial drivers of innovation and will play fundamental roles in this digital transformation. By adhering to the AI Act's stringent guidelines, these entities will help shape a trustworthy and human-centered AI landscape across Europe.

Accordingly, the legal Working Group of Living-in.EU organized an online webinar to discuss the legal implications of the AI Act for cities, regions, and communities across the EU.

Obligations for Deployers and Providers

The webinar offered the opportunity to dive deep into the obligations that will arise for both providers and deployers of AI systems.

Public authorities, which in most cases will fall under the category of deployers, will have to implement various measures, such as the registration of the high-risk system in the relevant EU database, conducting fundamental rights impact assessments prior to the deployment of the AI system, ensuring that the input data is sufficiently representative, and introducing mechanisms to receive requests for explanations on individual decision-making and enable appropriate human oversight.

On the other hand, providers of AI systems will also have to comply with several obligations, such as establishing quality management systems, generating and keeping technical documentation, ensuring conformity assessments, and providing instructions for use.

In some cases, deployers of AI systems could become providers if they make substantial modifications to AI systems or modify the intended purpose of the AI system.

A New European Office & the Role of National Authorities

The governance structure introduced by the AI Act foresees some novelties. National competent authorities will supervise conformity assessments, together with an Advisory Board composed of industries, start-ups, SMEs, and civil society, and a Scientific Panel that will support the implementation and enforcement of GPAI models.

A novelty in the governance structure is the AI Office. Opening its doors in August 2024, the AI Office will regulate GPAI at the European level. It will be responsible for regulation and safety, but also for promotion, innovation, and research.

Regulatory Sandboxes

The AI Act will require Member States (MS) to establish at least one AI regulatory sandbox. These tools aim to support companies and public authorities in developing AI with easy access to authorities in case of questions related to what is allowed or not. The legislation allows MS to jointly develop regulatory sandboxes.

The AI Pact

The AI Pact aims to support providers of AI systems in complying with the regulations arising from the AI Act ahead of the legal deadline. Participants will be provided with a better understanding of the AI Act, responsibilities, and obligations. Moreover, the AI Pact also aims to provide a framework to foster the early implementation of some measures of the AI Act. Organizations interested in becoming part of the AI Pact can still express interest here.

The Example from the Flemish Government

Digital Flanders is committed to embracing the power of AI in a trustworthy manner. In addition to a long-term vision and AI strategy, Digital Flanders is committed to preparing their employees and organization for the changes brought by AI.

A significant example in this regard is given by the Guidelines for Generative AI, which aim to guide public officials in ensuring that GPAI are transparent, accurate, and informative. Currently, these guidelines have been tested on two instruments: Microsoft 365 Copilot and an internal chatbot.

Interested in Knowing More?

The presentations, recording, and useful links are available on the Legal WG dedicated space here.

If you have further questions, or other topics concerning the AI Act that you would like to explore,please share them with viviana.demonte@eurocities.eu and gabriela.ruseva@eurocities.eu. You can also submit your questions to the Slido here by 25 June 2024.

*imagecredits: image retrieved from PPT Presentation of Hans Arents, Digital Flanders*

The Association of Finnish Municipalities Joins Living-in.EU Movement!

Michelle Gonzalez Torres — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 09:12:47 +0000

The Association of Finnish Municipalities Joins Living-in.EU Movement! Michelle Gonza… 12 June 2024

We are delighted to announce that the Association of Finnish Municipalities has officially signed the Join Boost Sustain Declaration, becoming a proud member of the Living-in.EU Movement. This marks a significant step towards enhancing digital transformation efforts across Europe.

Minna Karhunen, CEO of Kuntaliitto, highlighted the importance of this collaboration:

"Digital transformation leverages renewable technology to change operations. Our role is to support municipalities and cities in their digitalization efforts, ensuring they are beneficial for customers and sustainable economically, environmentally, and ethically. Sharing knowledge and experiences internationally accelerates this change by learning from our EU colleagues.

This partnership underscores the importance of international collaboration in achieving sustainable digital transformation. With shared knowledge and experience, we can collectively work towards a future where technology enhances the quality of life for all citizens across Europe. Welcome, Association of Finnish Municipalities, to the Living-in.EU Movement!

The First Edition of the Living-in.EU newsletter is out!

Michelle Gonzalez Torres — Tue, 28 May 2024 16:38:57 +0000

The First Edition of the Living-in.EU newsletter is out! Michelle Gonza… 28 May 2024

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the inaugural edition of the Living-in.EU newsletter! This exciting new publication is designed to keep you updated on all the latest developments, initiatives, and opportunities within the Living-in.EU community.

Read the newsletter and subscribe for future updates.

Stay connected, stay informed, and be part of the change with Living-in.EU Movement!