As part of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2024, the Living-in.EU Digital Assembly gathered key European stakeholders in Brussels on 9 October to discuss the digital transformation of cities.  

The event, which took place in the Jacques Delors building of the Committee of the Regions, provided a platform for EU mayors, local and regional leaders, and stakeholders to discuss political priorities and set a strategic direction for the movement. 

"Living-in.EU helped us focus not only on the economic and technological dimensions but also on the social and environmental aspects of digital transformation," said André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities and moderator of the session.

Living-in.EU, connecting cities for a greener and inclusive digital future

This year's event, co-chaired by Mirja Vehkaperä, Chair of the City Board of Oulu, and Lluïsa Moret Sabidó, Mayor of Sant Boi de Llobregat, focused on fostering a people-centred digital innovation ecosystem. 

Oulu was the first city to sign the “Join, Boost, Sustain” Declaration. “Oulu has 50 years of experience in radio technology. Every day, close to 3 billion people globally use technology developed in Oulu,” explained Mirja Vehkaperä in her opening remaks. Vehkaperä highlighted Oulu's Smart City 2028 roadmap, co-created with 80 local stakeholders, which focuses on collaboration across sectors, such as academia, industry, and local communities. 

Vehkaperä also underlined cities' crucial role in integrating digital transformation with sustainability: “Being chair and an active member in the Living-in.EU family makes it possible to lead the way and be a bridge between EU cities and regions to answer a very relevant question: How can we boost a digital transformation that also boosts green socio-economic transformation?” 

Digital inclusion, at the core of the transformation

For Sant Boi de Llobregat, digital transformation must first and foremost be inclusive, said Mayor Lluïsa Moret Sabidó. She stressed that the city is deeply committed to promoting a digital society where people, not technology, are at the centre: "We have always focused on a digital transformation that places digital rights at the forefront, ensuring the people, not the tools, are the priority." 

Mayor Moret explained that their digital projects aim to ensure equal access to tools for all citizens, including the most vulnerable: “Not having basic digital skills can prevent access to public services like medical consultations, university education, or job opportunities,” she stated. In Sant Boi, digital inclusion efforts focus on eliminating barriers tied to gender, age, and socio-economic vulnerability, making sure that no one is left behind. “As public administrations that generate equality, we cannot allow this to happen,” she added. 

Towards people-centred innovation 

“Digital transformation is not just about technology—it is a societal challenge where technology can be embedded,” said Guido Rink, Vice-Mayor of the municipality of Emmen. He warned against the growing influence of large tech companies: “Big tech doesn’t have customers; they have hostages. We need regulation to reverse this situation,” referencing new laws like the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Digital Services Act (DSA). 

Digitalisation is the oxigen that will create opportunities to solve human challenges, only if it’s human centred and based in nature.

- Guido Rink, Vice-Mayor of Emmen

Rink also spoke about the need for public-private partnerships (PPPs) and multi-level governance in Europe, emphasising that bottom-up approaches are essential for accelerating the digital transformation of European cities. "We need to think big, start small, and scale fast”

In addition, Arnis Gulbis, Director of Riga Digital Agency, shared the impact that joining the Living-in.EU movement has had on his city’s digital strategy. “We joined this movement quite recently, but it has given a real boost to our city’s digital transformation. It worked for Riga, and it will work for any other city,” he stated. Riga’s Digital Agency, he explained, brings together academia, private sector leaders, and city officials to improve public services and infrastructure using data-driven decision-making. 

Sustained funding for all municipalities

Sophie Valdenaire-Ratto, Delegate for Digital Transformation in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, discussed the critical role of regions in advancing digital transformation, especially by supporting smaller municipalities.

She highlighted the importance of securing European funds to make these initiatives viable: "We help smaller municipalities effectively access European funding." Two key projects in her region focus on cybersecurity and a shared regional infrastructure for data collection, ensuring that even financially constrained areas can participate. "It’s essential to finance territories that can't afford these technologies," she stressed, underlining the need for inclusive regional strategies.

Collaborative digital ecosystems are the way forward 

In discussing how to strengthen European cities' digital ecosystems, Martin Bailey, Head of the Artificial Intelligence for Societal Good Unit at the Artificial Intelligence Office of the European Commission, highlighted the importance of investing in infrastructure. “One of the most exciting developments is our EDIC (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium), which mobilises investments to acquire infrastructure,” he said. Bailey also emphasised the importance of ensuring that cities have a direct role in the European Digital Transition, alongside member states. 

The Living-in.EU Digital Assembly concluded with a signing ceremony for new and potential signatories of the "Join, Boost, Sustain" Declaration, reaffirming the commitment of cities to a sustainable and inclusive digital future. Mayor Moret highlighted the importance of collaboration: “Horizontal and vertical alliances are essential for a successful digital transition,” she said, calling for partnerships across public, private, and academic sectors, as well as across different levels of government. 

Cities leading the way 

The Living-in.EU Digital Assembly 2024 showcased how cities and regions across Europe are pioneering a sustainable and inclusive digital transformation. As Vehkaperä concluded, the role of cities is critical: “The role of cities is to keep the movement moving, using the tools we have to help everyone access a digital society.”  

Imagine exploring a city and simulating urban interventions with just a few clicks. This is the promise of local digital twins—a virtual mirror reflecting the heartbeat of urban spaces. In a world where the availability of data offers us valuable insights, these digital replicas offer cities a powerful lens through which to envision their future and navigate the complexities of modern urban life.

Patricio Reyes is the head of Urban Data Science within the Data Analytics and Visualization Group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. He is currently leading vCity ( https://www.vcity.tech ) a project to develop digital twins for cities. Patricio explains in this interview the potential of Local Digital Tools in promoting transparent, informed decision making to design the cities of the future. 

What are the primary reasons why cities should consider implementing a Local Digital Twin? What key benefits can they expect?

Generally, one of the great benefits—and also one of the great challenges—of Local Digital Twins (LDTs) is their ability to monitor the city's "pulse", serving as a tool for understanding the pulse of the neighbourhoods, which is key to urban decision-making.

LDTs should be included in cities' digitalisation plans, within the process of transparency and support for urban decision-making. They should be viewed as tools designed to integrate different layers of information. In addition, because of their evidence-based approach, LDTs can effectively promote transparency and accountability in urban decision-making.

Can you explain how a Local Digital Twin works and its significance in urban planning and management?

In very simple terms, an LDT is a virtual replica of the city designed to simulate hypothetical interventions. This allows us to analyse and compare scenarios for a review of the impacts of each intervention by virtualizing the "trial and error" process, bringing obvious benefits to cities and the urban planning process in particular.

Given the impact on public policies, urban planners, and by extension the LDT, need a broad and diverse view of the city. By combining information, the LDT provides models that help understand urban processes and generate relevant insights.

Could you elaborate on the practical steps involved in developing and implementing a Local Digital Twin for a city? What role do different actors play?

As mentioned earlier, a crucial part of a Local Digital Twin is its information about the city to understand its dynamics. Sensor data alone is not sufficient. Our approach emphasises understanding what the inhabitants need and want from their city. The diversity of information allows problems to be addressed from different perspectives.

In addition to information, another important part of a Local Digital Twin is the models that generate relevant insights based on the collected data. All of this is presented on a platform where urban planners can interact, ask questions, and create "what-if scenarios" to review the implications of each in their city.

Thus, the citizens, through participatory processes, share their vision of the city they want, which is incorporated into the LDT. In turn, urban planners and policymakers use the LDT to simulate multiple intervention possibilities.

How does the integration of various data sources and technologies play a role in the effectiveness of a Local Digital Twin? How does the concept of data privacy and security factor into the development and use of Local Digital Twins?

This is a very important topic that we believe should be integral to the development process of Local Digital Twins. At the Living-in.EU Digital Forum held in Rotterdam a few months ago, it was emphasised that digitalisation must be people-centred.

This involves, for example, understanding that people need to comprehend the processes by which decisions are made in their city. Initiatives like the Algorithm Register (https://www.algorithmregister.org/), promoted by the Living-in.EU community, aim in this direction. Similarly, LDT models must be as transparent as possible to the public, allowing the community to audit the process. Here, transparency plays a fundamental role.

What are some successful examples or case studies of cities that have effectively leveraged LDTs to enhance their urban environments?

While it may not be the most impactful example, it is quite illustrative: Traffic control centres help cities manage dynamic, multifactorial processes that are difficult to analyse without technology. Authorities can understand congestion problems and offer solutions, thanks to their broad view of the city.

Looking ahead, what do you see as the future trends and developments in the field of Local Digital Twins for cities?

In the future, I would like to see the democratisation of Local Digital Twins adoption by cities. LDTs will be understood as part of the process of "thinking the city," not just as a trendy technology. Smart cities are not those with the most sensors but those that know how to make well-considered decisions with and for the citizens.

Image: Proximity Cities. vCity & BSC Data Viz Group (Guillermo Marín – Jerónimo Calderón)

The European Commission is calling on cities and communities across the EU to express their interest in the Online Procurement Helpdesk for Smart Communities. This forward-thinking initiative is designed to support cities in advancing their digital maturity, particularly those in the early stages of digital transformation. By participating, communities will gain access to a comprehensive suite of benefits aimed at catalysing digital development and enhancing technological readiness.

Why join?

The Online Procurement Helpdesk offers tailored support and consultancy services to guide cities through the development and realisation of their digital strategies. Participants will receive online advisory services to help assess their technological readiness for implementing MIM-compliant local data platforms.

Kavala is one of the first cities that have tested the programme. "Kavala’s participation equipped the city with a comprehensive assessment of its current IT infrastructure's maturity, a tailored digitalisation roadmap, and strategic guidance on its procurement needs," stated Charalampos Papadopoulos, Director of Planning, Development and Digital Services in Kavala, about the programme, highlighting the focus on open standards and interoperability requirements.

Tailored roadmaps and strategies

Moreover, each city will benefit from a customised digitalisation roadmap, which provides detailed guidance on necessary initiatives and procurement requirements to enhance technical capabilities. This initiative also focuses on identifying procurement needs and technical capacities to align with the MIMplus framework, ensuring compliance with the latest EU regulations and facilitating seamless integration for cities and technology companies.

"Our participation allowed us to conduct a profound diagnosis of our current situation. The support and professionalism of the project teams have been impeccable," said Antonio Frances, Mayor of Alcoy, alongside Pedro Ramiro, Smart City Technician, and Joan Gisbert, Innovation Agent. "We have greatly enjoyed the exchange of ideas on topics such as interoperability and system security."

Joining forces and working together

One of the key advantages of joining this initiative is the opportunity to participate in a European peer network that pioneers the advancement of local data platforms and AI-powered digital twins. This network not only enhances visibility but also allows cities to share best practices, successes, and failures, leveraging collective learnings for mutual benefit.

Carmen Lavado, Head of Digital Services and Technologies in Sant Boi de Llobregat, emphasised how the pilot helped assess their digital maturity level, noting, "Participating in this pilot has helped us assess our digital maturity level and understand the necessary steps to bring digital twins to life."

The vendor-neutral and technology-agnostic architectural designs based on open standards provide strategic guidance that ensures interoperability and system security. "Being a pilot within the Local Digital Twin Toolbox has allowed us to benchmark our maturity and align our Digital Twin initiatives across departments," acknowledged Stefan de Smet, CIO in the City of Ghent.

The initiative is part of the broader Digital Europe Programme, which aims to accelerate digital maturity across urban and rural communities in the EU. It specifically targets cities and communities that are at early stages of digitalisation or those in the scaling phases, providing them with access to essential digital tools and expertise available within the EU.

How to participate?

For cities interested in joining, the deadlines for application are as follows. Phase 1, covering April 2024 to August 2024, has a deadline of 17 June 2024, while Phase 2, spanning August 2024 to May 2025, requires applications by 24 March 2025. The estimated duration for procurement services is approximately six weeks, depending on when a city is invited to participate.

Cities with over 20,000 inhabitants are encouraged to take part in this pioneering initiative, which represents a significant step towards ensuring that digital technology is accessible to all EU communities, fostering growth and innovation across the continent.

For more information and to express your interest, please click here.