Brussels, Belgium – The European Commission, together with five member states, announced the launch of the ‘Local Digital Twin & Citiverse EDIC’. The European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) is an instrument of the Commission Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 and creates a vehicle for shared investments in knowledge and funding at European scale. This EDIC is led by Estonia and supported by Germany, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Spain. On the short term more Member States are expected to follow.

 Living-in.EU , the movement for the European way of Digital Transformation of cities and communities will support the EDIC in the actual deployment of Local Digital Twins and virtual worlds through ‘the Citiverse’ projects at local level. Through Living-in.EU cities, communities, regions and member states will have access to standardized and interoperable instruments to implement Local Digital Twins on local or regional level. The next step is to create the European alternative for the metaverse: the Citiverse. Based on European principles and values.

Today in the Digital Assembly 2023 taking place in Stockholm, the European Commission kickstarted leveraging tools such as the EDIC’s. In her opening speech at the first Living-in.EU Mayors Digital Assembly Renate Nikolay, Deputy Director General in charge of Digital Policy at the European Commission, invited other Member States to join this EDIC.The first Mayors Digital Assembly taking place at the same time in Brussels echoed this message by showing support to the initiative. “I believe a multi-country project, supported by an EDIC will facilitate the large scale deployment of digital transformation we need in Europe; starting with Local Digital Twins.” says Cristina Martinez, also representing the European Commission at the same event. “We can only do this by working together at all levels, the EDIC will enable us to do this, and Living-in.EU has an important role to play.”

With the recent launches of new virtual reality hardware and virtual platforms to the consumer market, the development of the spatial web has accelerated. With the Digital Decade program, the European Commission provides an answer to develop the digital transformation the European way. The development of the inclusive and community driven virtual worlds, via the citiverse, is the answer and it will be delivered. But new ideas are not innovations until you apply them.

Therefore Living-in.EU and the development of the EDIC will create the conditions for success to accelerate the twin and just transition in Europe. By and for the citizens.