The new Lighthouse Project MAtchUP kicks-off in Valencia
Three new Lighthouse cities and Four Follower cities enriching the European smart city landscape
Twenty-eight partners from eight different countries gathered together in Valencia to kick-off MAtchUP, a smart city project that aims at boosting the European urban transformation process via upscaling and replication of innovative and integrated solutions in the energy, mobility and ICT areas. Experts from both the public and private sectors, urban planners, policy makers, industries and universities were involved in multidisciplinary discussions about key urban challenges ranging from technical interventions to financial models, governance, social engagement and acceptance.
To demonstrate and validate its urban transformation model, MAtchUP will deploy large scale interventions in three Lighthouse cities Valencia (Spain), Dresden (Germany) and Antalya (Turkey), and support the development of replication and upscaling plans in four Follower cities, Ostend (Belgium), Herzliya (Israel), Skopje (Macedonia) and Kerava (Finland).
“This project is very important for València” – states Juan Ribó, Mayor of the City of Valencia – “through these innovative and sustainable solutions we are going to improve several neighbourhoods and placing València at the European forefront of comprehensive urban regeneration.”.
Mr. Türel, Mayor of Antalya, highlights the improvements foreseen for the new district of Antalya “New Kepez Smart City is one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Turkey and will be the first implementation of Ecologic Smart City vision of Antalya. Having 1.4 million m² area, New Kepez Smart City will create a 2 billion USD economy for Antalya and will be the first of its kind where a smart city is being created from scratch with several smart city initiatives including infrastructure, energy, mobility, water, lighting, environment, security, health, smart home and integrated technology solutions for 80,000 residents that will live and work in the region by the year 2019. With its all innovative smart city solutions and the PPP model behind it is going to be a role model of creating Smart Cities from scratch for the Southern Europe and Middle East regions.”
According to Dirk Hilbert, Mayor City of Dresden “MAtchUP will enable us to implement a Smart City infrastructure and measurement to lessen the impact of our cities on the environment by improving on energy efficiency and to address the needs of our citizens to create a high quality of life in our city. Dresden is well prepared for this endeavour by its rich technology landscape to develop viable solutions and will be willing to share its knowledge with partners to create the smart cities of the future.“
Thus, after this meeting, the project team is more prepared than ever in embarking on this journey to address the issues that constrain a better and wider development of the urban transformation of the cities through the use of innovative technologies and the direct engagement of citizens and local communities in the co-design of their future smart cities.
Having received funding under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Smart Cities and Communities programme, MAtchUP will strengthen the European smart cities’ network initiated by other Lighthouse projects assuring a path for other cities to follow in order to provide a sustainable future for their own citizens.