The Cities Coalition for Digital Rights (CC4DR) is delighted to launch the third edition of the International Digital Rights Days (IDRD), taking place worldwide on December 10–11, 2026.

Context:

Background

European cities and regions are increasingly integrating AI to improve internal efficiency (e.g., internal AI agents), deliver public services (AI-driven citizen-oriented services), and urban planning (traffic management, environmental monitoring, citizen engagement). At the same time, reliance on Big Tech digital infrastructure is creating concerns about technological dependence, data protection, ethical governance and alignment with European values.

Governments face a growing disconnect between rising expectations for speed, adaptability and responsiveness, and institutional systems that have not kept pace. Digital technologies are now essential for addressing today's policy and service delivery challenges.

While the OECD data shows progress in digital strategies and frameworks, the focus must shift to delivering real impact through stronger data governance, wider use of digital infrastructure, modernised investment, trusted AI, and more human-centred services.

The EDIH Summit 2026 brings together the full European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network, EU institutions, Member States, AI infrastructures and innovation actors to examine how Europe’s AI ecosystem functions in practice. Sessions will explore how EDIHs connect organisations with other actors of the EU AI innovation ecosystem such as AI Factories, Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs) and regulatory sandboxes; how common tools and assessment frameworks support this work; and how proven approaches can be scaled across regions and sectors.

The Open Source Observatory (OSOR) is organising a workshop dedicated to exploring the role of open source AI in the public sector.