The current coalition agreement (KoalV) of the federal government formulates the mandate to enable cities and regions to initiate European smart city projects and to take part in international competitions (lines 2123-2126). Individual German municipalities are (or are) participating in various European partnerships and initiatives that promote the exchange and networking of the municipalities as smart cities on a European level. A core element is the exchange between different control levels: different stakeholders come together and dedicate themselves to a common topic from their respective perspective. In addition to the municipalities, individual member states and institutions of the EU as well as pan-European city networks (e.g. Eurocities) participate in the initiatives. Examples of existing European municipal networks and initiatives are the “Digital Transition Partnership” (DTP), the “European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities” (EIP-SCC) and the “Intelligent Cities Challenge”. To date, however, there has been a lack of structured bundling and support for the participation of German municipalities in European networks, projects and initiatives for digital transformation, especially at the national level.

In addition to participating in partnerships and initiatives for digital transformation in the context of urban development, there is a need for support for German municipalities to actively participate in European funding projects for digital transformation. The COM is planning a comprehensive financial and program framework for the new EU funding period (2021-2027). With a view to the (new) digitization and smart city initiatives and programs as well as the EU structural funds, the status of current processes and work on the subject of "digital transformation and urban development" shows a clear need for a (European) Research, support and networking project. The new project is intended to complement and support the program structures currently being set up and has the task of organizing the interface to the pan-European activities for promoting digital transformation and of coordinating national and European activities more closely.

The aim of the project is to supplement and support the structures of the (new and continued) European digitization and smart city initiatives and programs that are currently being set up, as well as the digitization priorities of the EU funds in the new funding period. The main task of the project is in particular the organization of the interface to the pan-European activities to promote the digital transformation and the coordination of national and European activities in digital, sustainable and integrated urban development. The subtasks include

- the processing and analysis of European funding programs, learning processes and networking activities,

- the implementation of accompanying structures and networking activities in practice (including in peer learning projects), and

- the transfer as well as the professional public relations work for the project and of results, knowledge and experiences from the project to different target groups (municipalities, federal ministries and ministries in other member states, COM, non-institutional national and European actors from the context of digital, sustainable and integrated Urban development, e.g. companies and civil society actors).

In addition to the European institutions and member states, the main addressees of the project are, in particular, the German municipalities and their partners in other European municipalities. There is a special focus on small and medium-sized municipalities that have so far benefited to a lesser extent from European funding programs and networking activities.

See service description