Living in EU feed

Interoperability going local

Genoveva Gil — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 07:30:44 +0000

Interoperability going local

EIF4SCC: now available in all EU languages

Genoveva Gil 20 September 2023

Cities and communities are facing growing and complex societal challenges for which green and digital technologies prove to be helpful to contribute to the well-being of our society and planet. However, despite the investment of public administrations on digitalisation, the current level of interoperability is insufficient and hinders cities' journey towards a digital and sustainable transformation.

Interoperability allows organisations to interact towards mutually beneficial goals. It involves the sharing of information and knowledge between organisations through the business processes they support, by means of exchanging data between their network and information systems. Interoperability ensures that data can be exchanged seamlessly. ¹

How does the EIF4SCC help cities and communities in their journey?

The European Interoperability Framework for Smart Cities and Communities (EIF4SCC) is a Commission Staff Working Document adopted by the European Commission when issuing the Proposal for an Interoperable Europe Act. It aims to provide a generic framework of all types of interoperability, in order to contribute to the development of Smart(er) Cities and Communities.

The framework provides European Union local administration leaders with a guide to interoperability. It includes definitions, principles, practical use cases, a common interoperability model and up to 30 recommendations to enable interoperability across domains, cities, regions and borders, leading to improved delivery of services to inhabitants, visitors, businesses and city/community administrators.²This will pave the way for services for citizens and businesses to be offered not only in a single city, but also across cities, regions and across borders.

This working document was developed by building on and finding complementarities with previous and ongoing initiatives, such as Living-in.EU, the 2017 European Interoperability Framework (EIF), the Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs Plus) and the outcomes of EU funded initiatives (e.g., Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), Digital Building Blocks, Smart Cities Marketplace, Intelligent Cities Challenge, Digital Transition Partnership under the Urban Agenda) and EU funded projects (Synchronicity, Triangulum, etc.).³

The EIF4SCC is now available in all EU languages, which you can find here.

How does Living-in.EU support signatories on interoperability?

Living-in.EU offers EU decision makers the possibility to join forces to boost sustainable digital transformation in their cities and communities and together develop sustainable measures. This also includes exchange of knowledge and sharing best practices around interoperability solutions in the cities.

In concrete, Living-in.EU helps signatories to work on and learn about interoperability through three of its working sub-groups:

Legal. The legal subgroup has been working on understanding the Proposal for an Interoperable Europe Act and learning about its potential impact on cities and other public authorities. This proposal builds on the evaluations included in the non-binding policy framework the EIF, and the ISA2 programme.
Technical. The technical subgroup works together to develop a common list of standards and technical specifications to achieve interoperability of data, systems, and platforms among cities and communities and suppliers around the world to enable solutions such as open urban platforms and digital twins. These standards are called Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs). You can find the latest version of the MIMs Plus here.
Monitoring & Measuring. This subgroup is contributing to co-design LORDIMAS tool, an initiative led by ESPON, the EU Commission and the European Committee of the Regions. It aims to support digital transformation efforts across Europe by helping local and regional governments to understand where they are in their digital transition journey. LORDIMAS will help cities and regions measure elements of interoperability inter alia.
Education & Capacity Building. Among others, this sub-group supports the development of administrative capacities to make the best of digitalisation to avoid technology or vendor lock-in, and facilities and coordinates activities including knowledge sharing, communication, dissemination and consultancy provision, to upscale successful digital solutions, ensuring a participative, cross-domain approach to design and implement smart and sustainable local solutions. The latter facilitates interoperability.

Therefore, Living-in.EU supports signatories on interoperability in a holistic way.

^{(1) Proposal for an Interoperable Europe Act, 2022, page 1.}

^{(2) Commission Staff Working Document, European Interoperability Framework for Smart Cities and Communities, 2022, page 23.}

^{(3) Ibid, page 3.}

Discover Multi Country Projects and European Digital Infrastructure Consortiums EDICs

Viviana Demonte — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:53:51 +0000

Discover Multi Country Projects and European Digital Infrastructure Consortiums EDICs

Wrap-up & Presentations now available

Viviana Demonte 18 September 2023

On 11 September 2023, Living-in.EU financial subgroup welcomed its members to an online webinar to discover the Multi Country Projects and the objective and role of the European Digital Infrastructure Consortiums (EDICs).

A brief of the session, as well as speakers' presentations and the recording, are now available.

Multi-Country Projects and the role of cities, regions & communities

As part of the “Path to the Digital Decade” policy program, the European Commission has set up a mechanism for Multi-Country projects with Member States. Their objective is to achieve the targets for the digital transformation of the Union and the EU’s industrial recovery. By pooling EU, national and private resources, Multi-Country projects aim to facilitate investments in various areas, such as Common data and Infrastructure, deployment of 5G corridors, High-Performance computing, Local Digital Twins and several more.

During the online webinar, Serge Novaretti, policy officer and programme manager at the European Commission, explained the key features of the EDICs, the main steps needed to set up multi-country projects and key requirements.

For instance, it is important to notice that an EDIC should composed of at least three Member States (MSs). For cities to join the EDICs, it is necessary for their MSs to be part of the EDICs or for their MSs to have sent the pre-notification to set-up an EDIC. Another opportunity for cities to join the EDIC is to be nominated by the MSs to be part of the EDICs Assembly. Other possibilities for cities to join the EDICs are currently being discussed.

The EDIC on Networked Local Digital Twins towards the Citiverse

Serge Novaretti also gave specific insights into the EDIC on Networked Local Digital Twins towards the Citiverse. The objective of this EDIC is to establish a network of digital twins that operate among them and across borders. Many cities and communities are experimenting with Local Digital Twins, but federated solutions would allow them to implement much more efficient tools that could better tackle societal and environmental challenges at EU scale.

The example of the EDIC on Local Digital Twins demonstrates how multi-country projects and EDICs could support cities, regions and communities, in pooling resources, accessing common resources and capacities, sharing know-how, acquiring new skills, competences and contributing to European projects.

Local Perspective on the EDICs and on Local Digital Transformation

A local perspective on the EDICs and local digital transformation was provided by Ernesto Faubel from the city of Valencia and Alexandre Chaffotte from “Banque des Territoires”.

Currently, the city of Valencia together with the city of Barcelona is co-leading the launch process for EDIC on LDT towards Citiverse, together with the support of the Spanish Government, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and digital transformation, and the Spanish network of cities (RECI). As highlighted by Ernesto Faubel, the LDTs developed under this EDIC could be seen as an evolution of geographical information system in 3D HQ modelling with simulation scenarios and real-time data, and with a strong focus on standardization and interoperability.

Interoperability and standardization are also two fundamental aspects of the digital transformation programs developed under the France 2030 programme for boosting local digital transformation. As presented by Alexandre Chaffotte, the French National public agency is currently funding several innovative projects, to define standardisation principles and to co-create interoperable solutions in which local governments, private sector and academic actors are encouraged to participate.

Advantages of EDICs for Member States, Regions and Cities

EDICs represents a key instrument for public authorities to collaborate for the development of innovative and interoperable digital solutions. They would allow to gather essential resources such as toolkits, dataspaces, and project groups which will become available and reusable among public authorities in Europe. Moreover, they would allow to explore synergies among various initiatives, optimizing knowledge exchanges and fostering innovative approaches in cities and communities.

As discussed during the webinar, the EDICs are currently being set up, and therefore, the discussions around their governance and modalities are still ongoing. Living-in.EU gives the possibility to its signatories to stay updated on the evolution of these significant opportunities for cities. If you are not yet a Living-in.EU signatory, you can easily join the movement without any financial commitment required, by signing the declaration here.

Living-in.EU signatories can access all the presentations from the session and the recording on the Living-in.EU platform in the financial subgroup here (login required).

Co-design the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox technical specifications for advancing the transformation of Smart Communities

Mr Karl-Filip Coenegrachts — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 09:19:08 +0000

Co-design the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox technical specifications for advancing the transformation of Smart Communities Mr Karl-Filip … 18 September 2023

The EU project to "Co-design of the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox technical specifications for Advancing the transformation of Smart Communities" has recently concluded. This project was part of the Digital Europe Programme, and was managed by the European Commission (Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology).

The project has been implemented by a consortium of organisations, including Deloitte, Capgemini, OASC, IMEC, Intellera Consulting, Technopolis Group, Technical University of Denmark and TNO. Its main objectives were to:

Map the EU LDT landscape and assess its state-of-play;
Consult stakeholders to co-design and inform the creation of the LDT Toolbox;
Define scenarios for the deployment of the LDT Toolbox;
Propose technical specifications for the development of an EU LDT Toolbox;
Present a roadmap for the deployment of the Toolbox.

As part of the activities of the project, on 12 July 2023, the consortium organised a virtual workshop titled "What should a Local Digital Twin (LDT) toolbox look like?". The main objective was to gather feedback from the most relevant stakeholders part of the Smart cities and communities (SCC) ecosystem on the composition of the LDT toolbox, as well as its sustainability over time as an evolving toolbox, and the steps towards its deployment. You can find the main takeaways and recording of the session here.

The views collected through this workshop contributed to refining the approach towards the final delivery of the project in August. Hereby you can find and read the public deliverables of the project:

D02.02: Public report on the mapping of the EU LDT landscape and its SWOT analysis including details of the dissemination session
D03.01: to be published in this news item when available
D05.02: Public report on the LDT toolbox detailed specifications requirements
D05.03: Public report on the roadmap proposal for the deployment of the LDT toolbox
D05.04: Public report on the roadmap for the scale-up of EU AI-powered DT

What should a Local Digital Twin toolbox look like? – Summary report & Recording

Genoveva Gil — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 08:44:33 +0000

What should a Local Digital Twin toolbox look like? – Summary report & Recording Genoveva Gil 18 September 2023

This workshop took place via ZOOM on July 12th, as part of the Digital Europe Program (DEP) project "Co-design of the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox technical specifications for Advancing the transformation of Smart Communities".

The main objective was to gather the feedback from the most relevant stakeholders in the Smart cities and communities (SCC) ecosystem on the composition of the LDT toolbox, as well as its sustainability over time as an evolving toolbox. The views collected contributed to refining the approach toward the final delivery of the project in August 2023.

For this reason, while this workshop targeted mostly cities and communities, the wider LDT ecosystem was also welcome to join the discussion, namely LDT technology providers and developers; standardisation bodies; Smart city and communities’ networks; and participants in relevant DEP projects (e.g., DS4SSCC).

The project is managed by unit CNECT.C.3 – Technologies for Smart Communities, and it is led by Deloitte, together with Capgemini, OASC, Intellera, Technopolis Group, IMEC, TNO and DTU.

The consortium prepared a summary report of the workshop which includes the main takeaways and findings of the workshop. You can download the full report here.

If you missed the workshop or you just want to refresh your memory, you can watch or re-watch the full recording here.

Regions team up to speed up the expansion of the European semiconductor industry

Theresa Sostmann — Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:37:00 +0000

Regions team up to speed up the expansion of the European semiconductor industry Theresa Sostmann 14 September 2023

The European Committee of the Regions, together with the Free State of Saxony, has today launched the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance – a political network of regions engaged to strengthen Europe's capacity to produce semiconductors and microelectronics, reducing its dependency from supplies from third countries. The Alliance aims to identify and help remove the obstacles to the industry's strategic development by improving the legal framework, promoting public and private investment, supporting the sharing of knowledge and the development of strong and resilient value chains.

The global semiconductor shortage has exposed regions' and cities' dependence on supply from a limited number of companies and its vulnerability to export restrictions from third countries and other disruptions in the current geopolitical context. The EU's share of the global semiconductor market is currently 10% by value, far below its economic weight.

In order to support the expansion and diversification of the chip sector in the European Union, 27 regions from 12 Member States have joined forces to form the European Semiconductor Regions Alliance (ESRA) to share their experience in this strategic field and to help strengthen Europe as a key player in the global competition with the US and China.

Michael Kretschmer, Minister President of the Free State of Saxony, opened the event and said: "The establishment of the Semiconductor Regions Alliance on the initiative of Saxony is an important milestone for the entire European Union and its future. For each segment of the global semiconductor value chain, it takes on average more than 20 countries involved in the direct supply chain to work closely together. With ESRA, we are opening up new ways for regions to collaborate, research and innovate to ensure Europe's economic and digital sovereignty. The participation of many regions in the launch event underlines the interest in increased cooperation at EU level in the field of microelectronics. The Alliance will make an important contribution to making Europe competitive in this key industry in the years to come."

Thomas Schmidt (DE/EPP), CoR rapporteur on the EU Chips Act and Saxon State Minister for Regional Development, stated: "After the adoption of the European Chips Act, it is now a matter of implementation, of establishing new production facilities, of strengthening research and of training skilled workers. The Alliance understands itself as a partner of the European Commission in this. As rapporteur for the European Committee of the Regions, I have closely followed the European Chips Act. It is good that Saxony, as one of the largest semiconductor locations in Europe, has taken the initiative. I support the 10 points for the launch of the Alliance with full conviction. The fact that the founding event takes place in the European Committee of the Regions shows how important the regions are for Europe and for the semiconductor industry."

In the jointly signed 10-point paper, regions call for a long-term definition of funds in the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework to increase European semiconductor production as well as the best possible support and competitive conditions for the regions within the framework of the European Chips Act.

The member regions call on the European Commission to interpret the criterion of "uniqueness" broadly to achieve the greatest possible flexibility and speed in the examination and granting of state aid in the semiconductor industry and to develop and implement solutions for a more sustainable production of semiconductors within the framework of the European Green Deal.

They further plan to expand research and development and promote networking of research institutions in and between the various regions and promote new technologies and innovations "Made in Europe". Ensuring a sufficient water and energy supply at the production sites as well as supply, especially strategic and critical raw materials, are other goals of the Alliance, which calls on the EU to ensure a reliable framework for these efforts. ESRA also argues that an EU ban on specific EU chemicals would jeopardise the existence of the semiconductor industry.

Michael Murphy (IE/EPP), Member of Tipperary County Council, said: “The semiconductor industry develops a rich talent pool, an extensive ecosystem with strong research links across the value chain from design to architecture, manufacturing, systems and applications. Semiconductor producers have the power to transform and do transform local economies, both directly and indirectly. It is imperative that national governments recognise the economic potential of the semiconductor industries across regions in Europe and provide the necessary support to develop a strong and integrated value chain."

Jan Jambon, Minister President of Flanders, said: “The founding of ESRA today is an excellent example of pan-European cooperation among likeminded regions from all over the continent. Europe's research policy shines through bottom-up innovation. For the Flemish Government, research and development is of the utmost importance and value. One in five of all foreign investments in Flanders is related to R&D and the Flemish Government invests 3.6% of its GDP in innovation and is therefore at the top of rankings in Europe. Yet it is also important to complement innovation with a new model of collaboration involving knowledge institutions, industrial players and regional policymakers."

Background:

The Alliance comprises 27 regions from 12 Member States: Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hamburg, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Saarland, Schleswig-Holstein and Thuringia in Germany; Andalusia, the Basque Country, Valencia and Catalonia in Spain; Flevoland and North Brabant in the Netherlands; Carinthia and Styria in Austria; the Centro region in Portugal; Flanders in Belgium; Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in France; Piedmont in Italy, Tampere and Helsinki in Finland; South Moravia in the Czech Republic; Wales in the UK; and the Republic of Ireland.

On 8 February 2022, the European Commission proposed a comprehensive package of measures to strengthen the EU's semiconductor ecosystem -- the European Chips Act. The Commission's goal is to increase Europe's market share in global chip manufacturing from currently only 10% to up to 20% by 2030.

In order to support the expansion and diversification of the chip sector in the European Union, CoR members have called in the opinion on the European Chips Act on the EU to invest more and make new funding available for the implementation of the Chips Act, building first on existing clusters and ecosystems. Cities and regions play an important role in strengthening the European semiconductor industry by bringing together all stakeholders to develop local manufacturing and research facilities, the opinion says, arguing that there needs to be targeted support for research and development of new technologies if European industry is to have a secure supply of semiconductors.

"Development of the CitiVerse" call

Genoveva Gil — Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:48:38 +0000

"Development of the CitiVerse" call Genoveva Gil 8 September 2023

A funding opportunity for the development of the CitiVerse was opened on 11 May 2023 and will be open for submission until 22 November 2023 (CLOUD-DATA and AI DIGITAL-2023-CLOUD-AI-04).

As described in the call document, the action will help define what the ‘CitiVerse’ means for Europe and to bring EU CitiVerse industry, including SMEs, together in developing the different layers of VR/AR worlds useful for local authorities and citizens. The project(s) stemming from this action will take into account potential EDIC in the field. The action could build on existing local digital twins expanding their capabilities.

In particular, the action will:

Start developing the CitiVerse for citizens to offer them interoperable and sustainable services.
Develop concrete CitiVerse use cases (and combinations of them) in the area of navigating in a community, discovering its assets such as culture, history, tourism and offering innovative services related to tourism, entertainment, shopping, future development and urban planning, etc., infrastructure management and sustainable mobility.
Encourage EU technology providers to integrate various data sources together to develop and train AI in a new specific CitiVerse context.
Activate a network of EU industrial partners, including SMEs, in Member States to provide technology capacity for the CitiVerse. This network may be part of, and interact with, the VR/AR Industrial Coalition and/or the New European Bauhaus initiative.
Identify building visualization solutions and multi-dimensional models to implement CitiVerse prototypes.
Exploit the long tradition of Europe in cultural and media content, involving European content creators, in particular SMEs, in the design of engaging in immersive CitiVerse environments.
Work towards recommendations for a robust, open and interoperable CitiVerse legal framework compatible with EU values and laws.
Include security by design and plan how CitiVerse applications and platforms can be used in real-life contexts.

24.5 million EUR for the development of the Local Digital Twins toolbox

Mariana Furtado — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:52:20 +0000

24.5 million EUR for the development of the Local Digital Twins toolbox Mariana Furtado 4 September 2023

A funding opportunity for those working on digital twins and smart cities was published today.

The subject of this call for tenders is “Development of the Local Digital Twins (LDT) toolbox for Advancing the transformation of Smart Communities” as described in the Digital Europe Work Programme 2021-2022, as well as the monitoring and evaluation of the above-mentioned development.

It will be divided in 2 lots:

- Lot 1: Development of the EU Local Digital Twins (EU LDT) toolbox for Advancing the transformation of Smart Communities.

- Lot 2: Monitoring, evaluation and quality review of the development of the EU Local Digital Twins (EU LDT) toolbox for Advancing the transformation of Smart Communities.

Opening: 01 September 2023
Closing: 02 October 2023

Join the Online Matchmaking Event for DS4SSCC: Connecting Smart Cities and Communities across Europe!

Genoveva Gil — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 10:03:06 +0000

Join the Online Matchmaking Event for DS4SSCC: Connecting Smart Cities and Communities across Europe! Genoveva Gil 28 August 2023

As the conclusion of the DS4SSCC preparatory action draws near, and with the exciting DS4SSCC deployment phase set to start in October, the consortium is organising an online matchmaking opportunity. This event aims to foster connections and collaboration among stakeholders, including cities, communities, regions, research centers, civil society, and companies, who share a common interest in data spaces for smart cities and communities across Europe.

Event Details

Date: 13th September

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (CEST)

This open event is tailored to create a platform for diverse stakeholders to build meaningful relationships and explore avenues for joint endeavors. Whether you are a trailblazer in this domain or just beginning to explore the potential of data-driven urban development, this event promises to be insightful and impactful.

Why should you attend?

Networking. Forge connections with like-minded professionals and entities across Europe.
Collaboration. Discover partnership opportunities and synergies for collaborative projects.
Knowledge Sharing. Gain insights from experts and practitioners shaping the future of smart cities and communities.
Information Exchange. Stay updated on the latest developments and initiatives in the field.

Register here before the 7th of September! Upon successful registration, you will receive an automated confirmation email.

In preparation for the event, all registered participants will receive essential information well in advance.

Should you have any inquiries or require further assistance, feel free to reach out to Sophie Meszaros at sophie@oascities.org.

Your participation in this event is invaluable to shape the future of smart cities and communities in Europe.

Living-in.EU at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023

Genoveva Gil — Tue, 08 Aug 2023 09:25:49 +0000

Living-in.EU at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2023 Genoveva Gil 8 August 2023

The European Week of Regions and Cities is an annual four-day event organised by the European Commission and the Committee of the Regions 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.

After having been selected as an event partner, Living-in.EU will participate at the EU Regions weeks with an exhibition stand where attendees will be able to join and learn about the movement, as well as with a political lab session on Local Digital Twins and cross-border cooperation. After its official launch on the 2 October, LORDIMAS tool will also have the opportunity to be presented during the event.

Moreover, if you are willing to learn more about LDTs, MIMs, or how to address the needs of EU cities & communities through technology, then you should attend the two workshops organised by OASC and Urbanage, and Communicity respectively.

Read all the details and find the links for registration below. Looking forward to seeing you in Brussels!

Exhibition stand: Living-in.EU

When? 11–12 October, 9:00h – 18:00h

Where? SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre, Agora Village

Registration here

If you are a decision-maker at local, regional or national level tasked with turning cities and communities into smart and sustainable places where people enjoy living and working, then you should come to see us to our stand to learn more about Living-in.EU and become part of the movement. Living-in.EU is gaining momentum as an increasing number of cities turn to technology to solve the growing range of interconnected challenges: mobility, energy, the economy.

Political lab: "How cross-border regions and cities will accelerate the Digital Decade"

When? 11 October, 9:30h – 11:00h

Where? SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre. Room 210

Registration here

This session will be focused on Local Digital Twins and cross-border digital services. Stories and challenges from the border municipalities of Heerlen, Aachen and Liège will be presented. This will set the stage for an interactive session on how these border regions can cooperate with each other when implementing digital solutions. The session will explore the important role of Living-in.EU in accelerating the Digital Decade, and participants will be invited to join the movement.

EU Regions’ talk: “LORDIMAS: your digital maturity check”

When? 11 October, 10:30h – 10:45h

Where? SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre, Agora 1

Registration here

LORDIMAS is a new, free interactive online tool, created in cooperation with Living-in.EU, aimed at helping Local and Regional Authorities understand where they are in their digital transformation journey and compare themselves with peers. Its launch on 2 October will be accompanied by a number of events, like the EWRC, providing an opportunity to test its features and get acquainted with it. The CoR's LORDIMAS ambassador will present the innovative tool and give first-hand feedback on its use.

Workshop: “How citizen-centred tech pilots can help address the needs of EU cities & communities”

When? 10 October, 9:30h – 10:30h

Where? SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre, Room 206

Registration here

CommuniCity Open Calls offer 100 pilot grants to companies and associations to co-create innovative solutions addressing city and community needs using AI and other emerging technologies. The 1st round is based on needs identified in Amsterdam, Helsinki, and Porto, while the 2nd and 3rd rounds expand to 7 and all EU cities, respectively. The session will present the results of the 1st round of pilots, as well as the topics of the call for the 2nd round, and will identify needs for the 3rd round.

Workshop: From interoperable urban platforms to local digital twins: inclusive tools for resilient cities

When? 11 October, 16:30h – 17:30h

Where? SQUARE Brussels Meeting Centre, Room 206

Registration here

European societies are changing, impacting all aspects of urban planning and governance. OASC and URBANAGE will present examples (e.g. Minimal Interoperable Mechanisms, digital twins, data spaces and AI) of how data governance and technology can accelerate collaboration and digital transformation and help create digital urban ecosystems, having a sustainable impact on cities. This workshop aims to foster data sharing, scaling of solutions, interoperability and collaboration.

The EU Public Services Open Source Achievement Awards

Viviana Demonte — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:42:46 +0000

The EU Public Services Open Source Achievement Awards

Call for submissions now open!

Viviana Demonte 28 July 2023

The European Commission’s Open Source Observatory (OSOR) organises the EU Public Services Open Source Achievement Awards to honour and showcase the best open-source solutions and initiatives created by or for the public administrations in Europe.

As the title of the Awards indicates, the Jury will focus on achievements of Open Source solutions and initiatives: the ambitious goals, determination in overcoming challenges, contribution towards furthering democracy, transparency and active participation of citizens in creating digital infrastructures serving constituents, the impact on their communities, and effective usage of public resources and exceptional response to solving problems.

Public administrations at all levels, public service institutions (such as schools, universities, or hospitals), third-sector organisations crucial for the functioning of public services and working directly with administrations are invited to participate in the contest. Businesses developing the solutions can apply only together with a public-sector body they have worked with on their development.

Award Categories

The best projects will be selected in two categories:

1) EU Public Sector Open Source Achievement Award, chosen by the Jury

2) OSOR Community Award voted by OSOR users and the public via Joinup platform

Who can participate?

The Awards are for organisations and teams who:

have successfully implemented an Open Source solution(s) within public administrations
developed initiatives using and advancing the use of Open Source within public services.

The submitters may represent public administrations; public service institutions such as schools, universities, and hospitals; third sector organisations crucial for the functioning of public services and working directly with administrations. Businesses developing the solutions can apply only together with a public entity they have worked with.

How and when to submit the application?

The winners of the EU Public Sector Open Source Achievement Award will be determined by a jury, while the winner of the OSOR Community Award will be chosen by the public through a vote on the Joinup platform. This online vote will be open from 29 September to 26 October giving you a chance to voice your support for your favourite open source solution and initiative.

The winners will be announced in Brussels on 21 November 2023 at OSOR’s anniversary conference Open Source Observatory turns 15: from pioneering to mainstreaming open technologies in public services. The event will bring together stakeholders from the EU Member States public administrations, European Institutions, and open source communities, associations, and businesses.

The six finalists of the Achievement Award and the winner of the Community Award will be invited to present their work at the final session of this event. It will be concluded with the Awards ceremony. The travel and accommodation costs of the representatives of selected projects will be covered.

For more information about the OSOR Awards, eligibility and selection criteria, and how to submit projects, please check the Awards page and Procedure Guide.