INVITATION FOR COMMITMENT - EIP on Smart Cities and Communities
The open Invitation for Commitment of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) has now been officially launched! The interested parties are invited to step forward and support the objectives of the EIP by communicating and sharing their plans and initiatives for actions at the interface of energy, transport and information and communication technologies and infrastructures. These can exist already, or reflect ambitions for the future.
Cities are the major source of European economic activity and innovation. Every city is unique but also struggles with similar issues such as congestion, air pollution, raising energy costs etc. Smart urban technologies and services offer enormous prospects in this regard. However, greater concerted action between cities, industry, innovative SMEs, research organisations and civil society actors is needed to accelerate their roll-out.
This is the core intention of the EIP-SCC. This Invitation for Commitments invites all stakeholders, to step forward and support the objectives of the EIP by communicating and sharing their ideas and plans for actions at the interface of energy, transport and information and communication technologies. We welcome existing initiatives as well as ambitions for the future.
Bringing together innovative ideas and actions from across Europe this way will help develop a dynamic market place for innovation exchange and partnering to the benefit of cities, citizens and companies. The Invitation for Commitments is distinct and independent from Calls under Horizon 2020; it is not a funding instrument.
Why submit a commitment?
Often, cities or companies have good ideas but struggle to find the right partners. This leads to delays and creates additional costs. Becoming part of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities is all about finding the right partners, facilitating synergies between city authorities and companies together with other stakeholders so that also access to finance becomes facilitated.
Submitting a commitment offers several opportunities for learning, partnering, efficiency gains and new creation of new business:
- promote your actions on a European scale
- engage with others to get new ideas and feedback on your actions
- learn from others and exchanges best practices
- partner with others to jointly shape new or expanding existing projects , create cost savings and attract private sector funding
More information can be found here.
Members of CIVITAS network are especially encouraged to answer to this Invitation for Commitments.
The deadline for applications is 15 June 2014.
