European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities
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| Published | 2012-07-01 |
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| Organization(s) | European Commission |
| Where | Brussels Belgium |
| Display | Yes |
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The smart city concept goes beyond the use of ICT for better resource use and less emissions. It means smarter urban transport networks, upgraded water supply and waste disposal facilities, and more efficient ways to light and heat buildings. And it also encompasses a more interactive and responsive city administration, safer public spaces and meeting the needs of an ageing population. To speed up the deployment of these solutions, the European Commission has initiated the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities that will bring together European cities, industry leaders, and representatives of civil society to smarten up Europe's urban areas.
The European Innovation Partnership for Smart Cities and Communities is an initiative supported by the European Commission combining Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), energy management and transport management to come up with innovative solutions to the major environmental, societal and health challenges facing European cities today.
With the aim of coming up with scalable and transferable solutions to contribute to the EU’s 20/20/20 climate action goals, it looks to reduce high energy consumption, green-house-gas emissions, bad air quality and congestion of roads.
The Partnership aims to overcome bottlenecks impeding the changeover to smart cities, to co-fund demonstration projects and to help coordinate existing city initiatives and projects, by pooling its resources together.
It ultimately looks to establish strategic partnerships between industry and European cities to develop the urban systems and infrastructures of tomorrow.
The Partnership follows the Smart Cities and Communities Initiative which was launched in 2011. This initiative initially only covered energy and had a budget of € 81 Million, which grew to € 365 Million and extended to include the transport and ICT sector with the launch of the Partnership in July 2012. To find out more, please view the timeline.
The European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) brings together cities, industry, SMEs, banks, research and other smart city actors. It intends to:
- Improve citizens’ quality of life
- Increase competitiveness of Europe’s industry and innovative SMEs
- Make European cities more competitive and better places to live in
- Share knowledge to prevent mistakes being repeated
- Reach European energy and climate targets
- Support in finding the right partners and solutions, achieving social, environmental and economic sustainability for European cities.
The EIP-SCC consists of the High Level Group (supported by its Sherpa Group) and the Market Place. The High Level group and its sherpas are responsible for the Strategic Implementation Plan.
The EIP-SCC Market Place collects ongoing and foreseen Smart Cities activities throughout Europe.