Despite the ongoing issues affecting all cities and stakeholders in 2021, real strength and resilience was shown across the Intelligent Cities network. In addition to ICC cities delivering their Ambitions & Roadmaps and starting with their implementation of solutions, 2021 saw a range of great achievements for ICC.
Commissioner Thierry Breton and EU Mayors Dialogue
The ICC and Living-In.EU facilitated a vibrant discussion on the challenges and emerging opportunities for cities in December. Commissioner Breton met with several EU Mayors including:
- Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona (Spain)
- Grigoris Konstantellos, Mayor of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni (Greece)
- François Baroin, Mayor of Troyes (France)
- Gencho Kerezov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia (Bulgaria)
- Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus (Denmark)
- Juhana Vartiainen, Mayor of Helsinki
- Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor of Leuven (Belgium)
- Carmen Carvalheira, Vice-President of the region of Alentejo (Portugal)
- Amel Zenati, Counsellor for Grenoble (France)
- Kata Tüttő, Deputy Mayor, Budapest (Hungary)
“We will win this digital and green transition only with you”. Commissioner Breton
Local Green Deal Guidance
In June a joint Mayors Summit with the European Committee of the Regions was held on Local Green Deals.
The occasion marked the release of the Local Green Deals Blueprint which sets out good practices to support cities implement the EU Green Deal at a local level.
Zero-emission cities session
The ICC hosted a partner event for EU Green Week about the Zero Pollution City: Leading the green transition of local businesses where Tadashi Matsumoto, the Head of the Sustainable Development & Global Relations Unit, OECD, spoke.
A further session focused on the city of the future: New urban trends for a climate-neutral and socially responsible industrial future heard from Carlo Ratti, Director at the MIT Senseable City Laboratory amongst other high level speakers.
European Parliament - URBAN Intergroup ICC seminar
A number of ICC cities presented a seminar on the ICC to the URBAN Intergroup - a cross-parties and cross-committees grouping at the European Parliament that ensures urban-related problems are reflected in European Parliament’s decisions.
The Tech4Good Marketplace
Home to a range of innovative solutions powered by technology aiming to improve city life - the new Tech4Good Marketplace was first shared at the 3rd City Lab.
Several cities have since taken the opportunity to present their Tech4Good solutions such as at the 4th ICC City Lab in December.
Reskilling the local workforce for the jobs of the future
"The best investment in our future is the investment in our people. Skills and education drive…competitiveness and innovation." President Ursula von der Leyen
In response to the call for greater reskilling, the ICC crafted a Pragmatic Guide to Reskilling - a step-to-step approach to developing a reskilling initiative, providing examples of the experiences of ICC cities, key success factors and lessons learned.
Three successful City Labs
Across the year, ICC hosted three City Labs which brought together many cities, stakeholders and speakers such as:
- Alice Charles, Project Lead for the World Economic Forum's Cities, Infrastructure & Urban Services Platform
- Professor Gesa Ziemer, Head of CityScienceLab, UNITAC Innovation Technology Accelerator Centre
- Sharon Gil, Lead, Circular Economy in Cities, UN Environment Programme.