SMART ERA’s Post

👏 Last week was a busy week in Brussels, with the annual European Week of Regions and Cities (#EWRC) taking place from 13-15 October. The city saw coming from all across Europe thousands of stakeholders in a series of events, to take stock on the state of play of European regions and cities. On this occasion, #GRANULAR contributed to two events on the afternoon of 14 October, in line with its activities in the Knowledge Transfer Accelerator (#KTA).  1. Rural proofing: Making policies work for rural areas through data & Earth observation ✔ Co-hosted workshop exploring how to embed rural perspectives into policymaking at every level. ✔ Key contributions from Alexia Rouby (European Commission – DG AGRI), Betty-Ann B. (OECD - OCDE), and Christos Moutsios (Region of Central Greece, Enviromental Department). ✔ Discussion on moving rural proofing beyond a “check-box exercise” — embedding it throughout policy design, implementation and evaluation. ✔ Real examples from Central Greece showing how rural proofing supports resilience, climate adaptation, heritage protection and social cohesion. ✔ Interactive roundtables led by @GRANULAR, RUSTIK and VALORADA EU Living Labs applying rural proofing methods to real-world territorial challenges. 2. Regions to stay – Digital innovations for local development ✔ Showcasing how digital tools and smart solutions can enhance territorial cohesion, demographic resilience and rural vitality. ✔ Examples from European regions on digital twins, telemedicine, AI tools and digital skills initiatives bridging the rural–urban divide. ✔ With contributions from partners including the Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha, the EU-Representation Office of Carinthia, the Département des Bouches-du-Rhône, the West Finland European Office and the Marshal’s Office of the Łódzkie Region. ✔ GRANULAR joined forces with these partners to integrate its Knowledge Accelerator Community into the European Rural Pact, reinforcing collaboration and co-creation of rural policies across Europe. 🤝 A heartfelt thank you to all partners and participants for advancing rural innovation, digital transformation and collaborative policymaking across Europe. 👉 Read the full news on our website: https://lnkd.in/dWbQmtTs #EURegionsWeek #RuralProofing #RuralDevelopment #DigitalInnovation #RuralPact #GranularProject #LivingLabs #EU #Collaboration #RegionalPolicy

𝟭𝟮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗣𝗣 👏👏 That means 36 small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) from the Meuse-Rhine region want in on this great instrument. They represent a lot of bright ideas! 💡 Altogether, these projects are asking for 3 million euros from the EU. The expert committee of the STIPP Instrument will have its hands full deciding which ones get picked! STIPP is here for SMEs in the border area of Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. STIPP helps them to become more competitive and super innovative. It’s one of the top projects in our programme - watch this space for more! 🚀 #STIPP #Innovation #MeuseRhine

🌿 How can cities make green transitions more democratic—and democracies greener? Across Europe, public administrations are being challenged to deliver on climate ambitions while ensuring democratic legitimacy.  💡 GreenDEMO explores how public administrations can build the capacities and innovations needed to lead green transitions in a democratic and inclusive way. By focusing on the public sector capabilities that underpin the green transition, GreenDEMO aims to help cities pilot, scale, and sustain innovative solutions. Working with eight partner cities—Mannheim, Bristol, Aalborg, Glasgow, Aarhus, Bamberg, Schaerbeek, and Poznań—and a consortium of leading research institutions, UCL IIPP is responsible for:  🔹 Mapping existing innovations for democratic green transitions  🔹 Developing a typology of innovations for democratic green transitions  🔹 Co-creating a survey instrument to understand the enabling and inhibiting factors for such innovations 🔗 Learn more about the project and its partners here: https://lnkd.in/gRW7aNgx #GreenDEMO #GreenTransitions #DemocraticInnovation #PublicAdministration #UrbanGovernance #ClimateAction #EUProjects UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP), Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, ICLEI Europe, INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Akademia Leona Koźmińskiego., Stadt Mannheim, Bristol City Council, ITK City of Aarhus, Stadt Bamberg, Schaerbeek 1030 Schaarbeek, Rainer Kattel, Anna Kurth

🔈 The European Commission has launched a Call for Evidence to gather ideas on strengthening the #NEB and empowering local communities to lead the transition toward a sustainable and inclusive future. Read more on the Sleeping Beauty EU Project page👇

Is Smart Specialisation still relevant in the context of the new MFF? After taking part in the seminar “Connecting national and regional planning to European priorities” — organised by Friends of Smart Specialisation (FoSS) and EURADA during #EURegionsWeek — my answer is clear: yes, more than ever. It was inspiring to discuss with colleagues from across Europe how Smart Specialisation has provided our regions with a shared language to communicate, learn and exchange knowledge. It has enabled us to identify our strengths, shape our priorities and design strategies that are not isolated efforts, but part of a wider European innovation landscape. As we look ahead to the new Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034), the key question is no longer whether S3 is still relevant — it is how we can use it to build strategic value chains that connect regional ecosystems, mobilise innovation capacity and deliver on Europe’s shared ambitions. Smart Specialisation is not a policy of the past. It remains the foundation for the regional innovation we need to build a more competitive, resilient and sovereign Europe in the years to come. #SmartSpecialisation #S3 #Innovation #RegionalDevelopment #MFF #EURegionsWeek #Competitiveness #ValueChains #FoSS #EURADA

Is Smart Specialisation still relevant in the context of the new MFF? Yes! Yesterday’s event confirmed what we at NESS – Network for Experts in Smart Specialisation experience every day: S3 is not just a framework, it’s a powerful tool for collaboration. By connecting people, ideas and regional strengths across Europe, our network helps translate S3 strategies into real innovation and strategic value chains that support a more competitive and resilient Europe!

🌍 IURC brings 240+ global city leaders to Barcelona for its Global Thematic Networking Event! From 4–6 November 2025, the EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Programme will host its Global Thematic Networking Event alongside the Smart City Expo World Congress (#SCEWC25) — the world’s leading urban innovation forum. The event will gather mayors, regional leaders, and practitioners from Europe, North America, Latin America & the Caribbean, Asia and Australasia to accelerate cooperation on sustainable urban development and regional innovation. Over three days, participants will: 🏙️ Join interactive cluster sessions on mobility, circular economy, climate adaptation, and urban regeneration. 🤝 Shape region-to-region collaboration in clean energy, agri-food systems, industrial modernisation, and the blue economy. 🌐 Exchange directly with peers, research institutions, and private-sector innovators at the IURC stand in the EU Joint Projects Pavilion (Hall 2, Stand D101). 🚀 Experience Barcelona’s innovation ecosystem through field visits on AI for cities, sustainable agriculture, and hydrogen-powered ports. IURC now connects 87 European cities and regions with 108 counterparts across the globe — partnerships moving from dialogue to action, pilot projects, and measurable impact. #IURC #EUForeignPolicy EU Funds #IURC #SmartCities #UrbanInnovation #Sustainability #GlobalCooperation #CityDiplomacy #CircularEconomy #ClimateAction

🌍 IURC brings 240+ global city leaders to Barcelona for its Global Thematic Networking Event! From 4–6 November 2025, the EU-funded International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Programme will host its Global Thematic Networking Event alongside the Smart City Expo World Congress (#SCEWC25) — the world’s leading urban innovation forum. The event will gather mayors, regional leaders, and practitioners from Europe, North America, Latin America & the Caribbean, Asia and Australasia to accelerate cooperation on sustainable urban development and regional innovation. Over three days, participants will: 🏙️ Join interactive cluster sessions on mobility, circular economy, climate adaptation, and urban regeneration. 🤝 Shape region-to-region collaboration in clean energy, agri-food systems, industrial modernisation, and the blue economy. 🌐 Exchange directly with peers, research institutions, and private-sector innovators at the IURC stand in the EU Joint Projects Pavilion (Hall 2, Stand D101). 🚀 Experience Barcelona’s innovation ecosystem through field visits on AI for cities, sustainable agriculture, and hydrogen-powered ports. IURC now connects 87 European cities and regions with 108 counterparts across the globe — partnerships moving from dialogue to action, pilot projects, and measurable impact. #IURC #EUForeignPolicy EU Funds #IURC #SmartCities #UrbanInnovation #Sustainability #GlobalCooperation #CityDiplomacy

📢 News on the upcoming EUI Call 4 for Innovative Actions 📢 One of the highlights of the European Week of Regions and Cities 2025 was yesterday’s session organised by European Urban Initiative (EUI), where we gained valuable insights into the upcoming Call 4 for EUI Innovative Actions. We have been eagerly awaiting details on this opportunity, and here is what we have learned: ▫️𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲?▫️ Urban authorities with more than 25,000 inhabitants. The call particularly welcomes applications from small and medium-sized cities, as well as from urban authorities with limited experience in accessing EU funding. ▫️𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬?▫️ Cities can tackle urban challenges related to a broad range of topics, which includes: economy and competitiveness, housing, climate action, environment, energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, social inclusion, security and public safety. ▫️𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?▫️ Unlike previous calls that required EU-level innovation, this time, cities are expected to focus on local innovation – going beyond “business as usual” within their local context. ▫️𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧▫️ Up to €2 million per project for a 2-year implementation period. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: As emphasized by the EUI Programme, all information presented is indicative and subject to change prior to the official launch of the call (currently expected in spring 2026). Stay tuned for further updates! #EUI4yourcity #UrbanDevelopment #EURegionsWeek #InnovationInCities  #EUFunding #EuropeanUrbanInitiative

Rural regions are vital to Europe’s ecological, cultural, and economic fabric, yet they are increasingly exposed to climate-related challenges. The NURISH EU Project, funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe, unites 27 partners from nine countries to advance regenerative and resilient rural futures. Over the next five years, the project will apply nature-based solutions, digital tools, and community-driven innovation to strengthen local capacities and demonstrate scalable models of resilience through Living Labs across Europe. 👉 Read more about the initiative via the link below: https://lnkd.in/daPT77Zk Elena Marie Enseñado | Charmae Pyl Wissink-Nercua | Dr. Pamela Duran Diaz | Dr. Qian Ke | Carolina Lunetta | Kristine Abbie A.