The European Commission’s AccelerateEU Communication, adopted in April 2026, sets out a framework to strengthen Europe’s energy resilience in response to rising energy prices and geopolitical pressures. It prioritises the rapid deployment of home‑grown clean energy, electrification and investment, while reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and reinforcing the security and affordability of Europe’s energy system. Achieving these objectives depends on effective local implementation, particularly in cities, where energy, mobility and infrastructure systems intersect and where European policy ambition is translated into concrete investments.
Through the Smart Cities Marketplace, cities across Europe receive hands‑on, implementation‑oriented technical assistance that supports the delivery of AccelerateEU priorities. In Kortrijk (Belgium), support focused on structuring district heating and local renewable energy systems, including governance models, business planning and investor matchmaking for a cooperative energy company. Bydgoszcz (Poland) received a detailed techno‑economic analysis and financial structuring to develop an integrated renewable energy and hydrogen system powering zero‑emission public transport. In Guimarães, Vila Real, Torres Novas and Almada (Portugal), tailored assistance addressed feasibility, regulatory frameworks and financial models for renewable energy communities and collective self‑consumption, enabling replication across municipalities. Pelt, Hamont‑Achel and Lommel (Belgium) were supported in optimising photovoltaic investments across municipal building portfolios through data analysis, portfolio‑based investment planning and legal guidance on energy sharing, while Pezinok (Slovakia) benefited from technical assessment, financial modelling and business‑model advice to prepare a smart street‑lighting project combining energy efficiency, digital control systems and renewable integration.
Beyond one‑to‑one technical support, cities can draw on the Smart Cities Marketplace’s Solution Insights, which provide a structured set of guidance tools designed to support smarter, more sustainable cities. These include Solution Booklets, concise and accessible publications explaining key urban technologies and concepts through real‑world case studies and business models; the Smart City Guidance Package, a practical urban planning and governance framework bringing these solutions together; the Celsius Toolkit, supporting cities in developing and scaling district heating and cooling systems; and the Tech4Good Toolkit, which compiles digital solutions and good practices for socially beneficial urban innovation.
These guidance resources are complemented by the Smart Cities Marketplace’s project databases & project data visualisations, which equip cities with concrete, evidence‑based insights to advance their smart city ambitions. For an overview of the data regarding projects supported by the Smart Cities Marketplace, please visit Aggregated data charts for SCM supported projects. Cities can explore real‑world solutions from 100 successful European projects, including 18 Lighthouse initiatives, spanning locations from small towns to major cities such as London, Barcelona and Vienna. Key project data is made available, helping cities better understand the technical, financial, and implementation characteristics and transform local ideas into credible, bankable, and replicable solutions aligned with AccelerateEU.