Living-in.EU was present at the 21st edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities, held in Brussels from 9 to 12 October. The event provided a platform for engaging conversations, workshops and talks aimed at discussing common challenges for Europe’s regions and cities and examine possible solutions by bringing together a diverse community of speakers and participants.

During three intense days, Living-in.EU welcomed participants at their stand, attended different sessions on digital innovation and welcomed two new signatories to the movement.

Keep reading to learn more!

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

CommuniCity is one of the partnerships in the network of Living-in.EU. It offers 100 pilot grants to companies and associations to co-create innovative solutions addressing city and community needs using AI and other emerging technologies. The first round is based on challenges identified in Amsterdam, Helsinki, and Porto, while the second and third rounds expand to seven and all EU cities, respectively.

As cities go through digital transformation, there is a constant struggle for initiatives to offer successful innovative solutions to all. One of the main challenges to providing territorial cohesion is to unify the different sets of standards developed to address cities issues. OASC and Living-in.EU support the interoperability of data among cities as a tool to foster integrated solutions worldwide. In this context, the Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs) help cities and communities in this journey.

On the platform of CommuniCity you can find more information on the challenges and the selected pilot proposals. The second open call is open until 31 October 2023.

“How cross-border regions and cities will accelerate the Digital Decade”.

Under the theme of “breaking barriers for cross-border cooperation”, Living-in.EU organised a political lab session to discuss about the challenges and solutions in cross-border digital services. Some of the challenges raised both by the audience and the speakers include: a need for a common understanding of the laws, the different levels of digital maturity, interoperability, language, connectivity, funding, or digital literacy.

Standardization, a coordinated investment strategy, knowledge-sharing and digital skills were highlighted as some of the solutions to the challenges above. In this sense, Living-in.EU is the umbrella platform that will channel the solutions, assets, and roadmap to accompany and support local and regional authorities in their digital transformation journey. Some examples are Local Digital Twins, LORDIMAS and the AI procurement clauses.

“LORDIMAS: your digital maturity check”

LORDIMAS is an initiative led by ESPON Programme, the European Commission, and the European Committee of the Regions in cooperation with Living-in.EU. It is a new, free interactive online tool, aimed at helping local and regional authorities understand where they are in their digital transformation journey and compare themselves with peers. It was officially launched during the EU Regions Week, where attendees of the session were able to see a demonstration of the tool.

By filling in this survey, not only once but continuously, cities and regions will be able to identify their strengths and share them with other cities and communities in Europe to inspire them. But they will also be able to identify possible gaps and access a growing ecosystem of services, toolboxes, initiatives, and projects to tailor their digital transformation strategy to their needs and those of their citizens. 

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

This workshop facilitated by the European project UrbanAGE together with OASC invited policy makers, urban planners, developers, and community stakeholders to reflect on how European communities can be more inclusive and how we can use technology to be prepared for challenges like changing demographic, urbanization, and migrations. The session first presented the use cases developed in Urbanage and how technologies developed in this project improved inclusive decision-making.

The presentation aimed to spark exchange between the participants regarding their experience on interoperability, inclusivity and specific technology like local digital twins. The discussion was divided into three working groups: 1) Brainstorming: inclusiveness of my city, specifically with older people 2)Local digital twins for citizens benefits 3)Peer learning, sharing best practices. In doing so, they also reflected on the Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms (MIMs Plus) as a means to unlock interoperability in Europe, and European calls such as the Data Space for Smart and Sustainable Cities and Communities, the Local Digital Twin Toolbox or the CitiVerse.

Welcome to our new signatories!

Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (France) joined Living-in.EU during the EU Regions Week. Represented by Patrick Molinoz, Vice President at Association des Maires de France, and Denis Hameau, Regional Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Dijon Métropole.

Moreover, Living-in.EU was glad to welcome Hollands Kroon (The Netherlands) as a new signatory of the Declaration. Mayor Rian van Dam, who is also Vice Char Commission Information Society at VNG Realisatie, participated as a speaker of the session on cross-border digital services.

About Living-in.EU

Living-in.EU is the community you want to be part of, assisting you in your local endeavors. This ensures you are always utilizing the latest technology and staying compliant with the latest laws and standards, not just today but also in the future.

Living-in.EU is an initiative that was initiated and launched in 2019 by the European Commission, Committee of the Regions (COR), Eurocities, Open & Agile Smart Cities (OASC), European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), The European Regions Research and Innovation Network (ERINN), and The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).

If you want to be part of Living-in.EU, sign or support the declaration today!