Anchoring innovative ideas and ensuring real-world application

REMOURBAN held its first working session with the project’s Advisory Council at meeting in Brussels this March to debate integrated planning, regulatory frameworks, citizen engagement, financial schemes and business models

A lighthouse is designed to give guidance, help avoid danger and show the best routes to a final destination. As a demonstration project with designated ‘lighthouse’ cities, REMOURBAN takes this role literally and with great responsibility. The project’s advisory council are intended to give some extra brilliance to the project, ensuring REMOURBAN innovations fulfil this purpose, anchored in real-world application and best positioned for replication by others.

Helping REMOURBAN solutions meet expectations will be six widely recognised experts from five countries, aligned to the project’s pillars of energy, ICT, finance, mobility and non-technical barriers. In addition to their individual expertise and insight, the highly networked council members will be able to highlight synergies and efficiencies in key stakeholders for REMOURBAN. These include the European Innovation Partnership for Smart Cities and Communities, the Architects Council of Europe and the Smart Cities Information System amongst others.

Coordinator Miguel Ángel García of CARTIF was quick to welcome the four advisory council members present in Brussels this March, stating that “this group of luminaries is of remarkable value to REMOURBAN – challenging us, shaping our innovations, bringing new ideas and even, certainly, rejecting some too!”. He continued to say “this is not just one way traffic though; we know the project is demonstrating genuine opportunities for significant progress with local powerhouse cities from across Europe. Our debates and exchanges will certainly be giving everyone something to think about ”.

The first lively session in presence of advisory council members was held in conjunction with a REMOURBAN project meeting on March 8 in Brussels, with a focus on integrated planning, regulatory frameworks, citizen engagement, financial schemes and business models.

With the chairs cleared back and microphones around the room a free-flowing discussion engaged all 30 plus participants. The group certainly appreciated some thought provoking insights and connections to complementary European initiatives. Particular focus was given to the cities’ inputs and notably the follower cities of Seraing and Miskolc as they are on the front line of testing and adopting REMOURBAN solutions and validating for others.

The project consortium is already looking forward to the next exchanges and refining of the urban regeneration model as the real work begins at intervention sites, research labs and consortium partner businesses in the months ahead.