Smart Cities Marketplace
Session Speakers:
- Esben Pejstrup, Smart Cities Marketplace
- ICLEI, Silvia Assalini, Covenant of Mayors, ICLEI
- Thomas Osdoba, Program Director, NetZeroCities
- Shazade Jameson, Intelligent Cities Challenge
- Luigi Lo Piparo, Matchmaking Lead, Smart Cities Marketplace
Key points:
- The session highlighted the importance of collaboration and cooperation among organisations dedicated to creating smart and climate-neutral cities, to foster more sustainable urban environments.
- Luigi Lo Piparo emphasised the tailored services offered by the Smart Cities Marketplace to expedite sustainable and inclusive smart city projects. These services include providing access to financing and offering one-on-one consultancy. He stressed the significance of projects with a high likelihood of attracting investment.
- Silvia Assalini discussed the availability of a funding and financing guide from the Covenant of Mayors, which serves as a valuable resource for cities seeking financial support.
- Shazade Jameson underscored the importance of addressing the twin transition through strategic partnerships and local green deals in key sectors such as mobility, tourism, energy, cultural and creative industries, as well as construction and the built environment.
- Thomas Osdoba introduced the EU mission platform focused on climate-neutral and smart cities. He also discussed the development of policy labs to work on innovation and policy, particularly in areas like building energy use.
- The session facilitated fruitful discussions and potential collaborations among participating organisations. There was recognition that initiatives like Civitas and NetZeroCities could form partnerships through policy groups and labs. The Intelligent Cities Challenge was acknowledged for its role in unifying initiatives with similar goals.
- The session also emphasised the importance of involving private companies in EC initiatives, as exemplified by the collaboration between Smart Cities Marketplace and the Covenant of Mayors. It was highlighted that easily accessible funding resources, including the finance guide from the Covenant of Mayors, should be included on platforms like the Smart Cities Marketplace website.