We are finally back from a well deserved summer vacation and it is a good moment to analyze the evolution of the SMACITE project in the last months. As you may know the SMACITE project is a 3-year project (01/06/2022 – 31/05/2025) coordinated by the University of Patras (Greece) and co-funded by the European Union promoting the development, curriculum and competencies of smart cities in the participating countries. During the last summer many students participating in the initiative had the time to learn and develop projects in the different courses that are part of the SMACITE initiative:...

Thank you for your interest and registration in the session “Fostering Rural Regeneration through Local Talent: A Skill Set for the Smart Communities’ Workforce”! We are elated to announce that the session, which will take place during the European Week of Regions and Cities, is now fully booked! We are truly inspired by your enthusiasm and participation in discussing the future of rural regeneration. The session will take place on 8 October 2024, from 09:30 to 10:30 CEST, at the Albert Borschette Congress Center in Brussels. It will dive into how local talent and skill development can drive...

Join us at the European Week of Regions and Cities 2024 for an insightful panel discussion: Fostering Rural Regeneration through Local Talent: A Skill Set for the Smart Communities’ Workforce 🗓 8 October 2024⏰ 09:30 - 10:30 CEST📍 Albert Borschette Congress Center, AB-3A (Brussels) The session will share the results of EU-funded projects and public-private partnerships aiming at fostering rural regeneration by enhancing the skills of the local workforce. SMACITE will present his training courses and MOOC! Register here: https://regions-and-cities.europa.eu/programme/2024/sessions/33673 During...

Although the term Smart Cities has become more popular for the general public, the European Commission uses the terms smart cities and smart communities rather interchangeably, aimed at the well-being of their inhabitants, businesses, visitors, organisations and administrators (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/smart-cities-and-communities). Sometimes the term Smart Cities often refer to urban areas while smart communities consider rather rural and non-urban areas with the same purpose of ICT for quality of life. The perspectives of the smart cities IoT market in Europe alone...

In an increasingly competitive and evolving global tourism sector, the integration of smart cities and technology is reshaping how destinations attract and engage tourists. By leveraging the following strategic axes, Smart Destinations can enhance the tourist experience and community management simultaneously: Governance Innovation Technology Universal Accessibility Sustainability The Basque Country exemplifies this shift, where six locations have been recognized this year as six Smart Tourism Destinations: Bidasoa, Bilbao, Busturialdea-Urdaibai, Debagoiena, Getxo and Valles Alaveses,...

Do you know AURORAL? AURORAL is a public funded project under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, including 30 partners from 10 different European countries and 5 Pilot Regions. It focuses on increasing connectivity and delivering a digital environment of smart objects interoperable services platforms able to trigger dynamic rural ecosystems of innovation chains, applications and services.  AURORAL's goal is to use digitization for improving rural regions in many aspects, like economical growth, social aspects or to contribute to overcome the digital divide between rural and urban areas....

Last week, on April 10th and 11th, the Politeknika Txorierri school in Derio hosted a new face-to-face meeting for the SMACITE project in their premises. This gathering meant a significant step in our collaborative efforts to bridge the skills gap for technicians and engineers in smart cities. SMACITE Project Goals: the project is dedicated to designing and testing a vocational education and training program. Our innovative, multidisciplinary curriculum blends key digital skills for smart cities enabling technologies with competencies in sustainability, entrepreneurship, and soft skills. 🤝...

Francisco J. Martinez from University of Zaragoza, Teruel, Spain, Chaker Abdelaziz Kerrache, from Université Amar Telidji de Laghouat, Laghouat, Algeria and Abderrahmane Lakas from UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates are the editors of the special issue of IET “Smart Cities” on Drones for smart cities, November 2022. Smart cities and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are two relatively recent concepts and also hot topics in research. The combination of these two technologies is expected to propel their capabilities even further for enabling revolutionary applications that will improve...

Have you heard about the EU Smart Communities Network Living in EU? It's not just about smart cities; it's about fostering a vision of smart communities, the European way of digital transformation in cities and communities. In this innovative network, digital solutions are more than just technology – they're the building blocks of vibrant, liveable spaces where people thrive in their daily lives and work. The emphasis is on creating environments people genuinely enjoy, shaping a future where technology enhances our communities. They include approaches to smart urban mobility, energy efficiency,...