The recent Smart Communities Network (SCN) meeting on November 6, 2024, hosted both online and in Barcelona during the Smart City Expo World Congress, brought together stakeholders from across Europe. The gathering focused on advancing the digital transformation of cities and communities, with a particular emphasis on supporting those with lower levels of digital maturity.

Key outcomes:

1. Strengthening collaboration: The SCN fosters a "network of networks," enabling cities to share best practices, tools and resources. This collaborative approach aims to enhance operational efficiency and community engagement.
2. Digital transformation support: The European Commission (EC) referred to various tools, such as Lordimas (a digital maturity assessment tool) and the Local Digital Twin (LDT) Toolbox, to aid cities in their digital journeys. This toolbox  aims to assist local authorities to improve public service delivery in various fields such as sustainability, mobility and energy with step-by-step guidance and practical instruments to use in the digital transformation journey.
3. Tailored training and resources: dissemination sessions and training sessions for the European cities and communities focus on empowering local stakeholders with actionable insights and fostering hands-on learning about the different steps to take to advance in digital transformation. Seven SCN members shared their valuable insights about their dissemination sessions in their countries with their network peers.

Added value of the SCN: The network offers an inclusive platform for urban and rural communities, irrespective of their digital maturity, to engage in digitalisation efforts. By integrating diverse European municipalities, the SCN amplifies the reach of best practices, resources and innovative strategies. Additionally, the forthcoming establishment of the Local Digital Twin CitiVERSE European Digital Infrastructure Consortium (EDIC) will provide cities with scalable digital tools and infrastructure. Participants voiced the need for clear narratives to communicate the EDIC’s goals to local stakeholders effectively, emphasising the importance of real-world examples and tailored approaches to inspire engagement.

What tools are there for you?

• An online procurement helpdesk. Cities and communities can express their interest in participating here.
   
• A free online tool, Lordimas, to assess your city’s or municipality’s digital maturity. Go to the platform, click on participate and download the offline form. Complete it with your stakeholders and put it in the online platform for a nice overview of your city’s or community’s digital maturity.
   
• Interoperability instructions. Minimal Interoperability Mechanisms will help accelerate the adoption of interoperability practices among smart city stakeholders including cities and solution providers. Check this MIMs Plus documentation of the Technical Working group on the Living-in.EU platform.
   
• Procurement templates and guidelines will be released and will be accessible via the online procurement helpdesk. If you are interested in providing feedback on the LDT procurement materials, please subscribe via survey.
   
• The Living-in.EU community to share experiences and learn more about digital transformation. Register now and gain early access to digital tools, funding opportunities, and valuable insights into EU digital policies.