What is ICC?

The Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) is one of the European Commission's largest initiatives supporting European cities in their green and digital transitions. ICC delivers cutting-edge knowledge and advisory services to cities and their local economies to address two major challenges: making the transition to a net-zero economic model, while enabling sustainable development for EU citizensIt does so by offering a tailored support programme of coaching, facilitation, networking and inspiration to help cities launch Local Green Deal partnerships. 

Cities learn how to address these challenges through Local Green Deals: integrated, multi-disciplinary action plans and partnerships to lead the green and digital transition. The Local Green Deals focus on several key sectors: energy, mobility and transport, built environment and construction, tourism, and culture and creative sectors.

As part of ICC, cities become members of a vibrant network, gain access to tailor-made advisory services, innovation, and sustainability management techniques, and most of all become inspired through connecting with peers and mentor cities.

Building on the success of the previous edition of the ICC programme (2020-22) and Digital Cities Challenge (2017-19), the ICC has now consolidated its offerings and offers an extensive high-profile network, solid methodology framework, and strong support mechanisms.

Cities have been selected to undertake a 2-year journey where they will create an impactful strategy and develop innovative solutions that will place them at the forefront of the green & digital twin transition. 

Core cities   Mentor cities

 

What is the ambition of ICC? 

The vision of this next phase of ICC is to offer the renewed network of intelligent cities support in exploiting the potential of emerging technologies while taking ambitious steps to improve the quality of life for citizens ensuring growth, sustainability, and resilience.

Participating cities in the ICC will be supported to develop or refresh strategies and action plans for addressing the city’s sustainable growth objectives. Cities will be signing Local Green Deal partnerships with a roadmap for continued implementation and scaling of solutions. The expectation is to have at least 175 Local Green Deal partnerships signed with local stakeholders including businesses and associations. Further to this, the ambition is to facilitate ecosystem engagement with the business ecosystem, secure cross-departmental involvement of city departments and collaboration among cities in the ICC network.

The ICC will act as a driver for cities willing to live up to the vision where they can play a leading role in driving a technological revolution that will lead not only to increased growth and competitiveness but more importantly, to healthier, greener, sustainable and more inclusive living conditions and spaces of the EU's citizens. Effective technologies targeted to the right problems can deliver green, smart, and sustainable growth for cities - improving the quality of life for everyone who calls them home.

Read the ICC flyer

 

What is the twin transition and why does it matter as part of ICC?

The twin transition implies the coupling of the green and the digital transition. If done right, it can be a successful approach to decarbonise the economy and create resilient and sustainable economic sectors. Although the green and digital transitions are different in nature, their interaction offers new opportunities to address challenges. Some of the most carbon-intensive sectors (e.g. energy, transport and construction) could largely benefit from the development of new technologies. Cities in the ICC will become frontrunners of the twin transitions, and lead others by example. Policymakers at the city level are invited to use the ICC and fellow city colleagues to design plans, launch collaborations and implement solutions that can help to converge the digital and green agendas.