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,...

The first national workshop of the SMACITE project in Italy took place between the end of October and December allowed companies, H/VET providers and public bodies to meet and let them know the latest news about the SMACITE project, the partnership, the project objectives and expected results. Apro Formazione chose to organise the event by dividing it into four sessions for specific audiences in order to facilitate participation and deepen the most important aspects for each type of user.  The Italian SMACITE project team met teachers from the Liceo Scientifico Cocito in Alba and representatives...

Embarking on a transformative journey, the SMACITE project is thrilled to collaborate with Green-Co, another innovative Erasmus + initiative, to redefine the landscape of Smart Cities in the search of sustainability. The GreenCo project focuses mainly on green IT and computing in order to mitigate Digital Pollution, promote efficient energy consumption and e-waste recycling, looking to raise awareness about the environmental effect of excessive data use and to suggest simple and easy-to-implement solutions to minimize it.  Together, these programs, Smart Cities and Green-Co, weave a powerful...

On Thursday 23rd November 2023 the first national workshop of the SMACITE project took place at the premises of the University of Patras, in Patras, Greece. The workshop has been co-organized by University of Patras and Olympic Training and Consulting, partners in the SMACITE project. During the workshop the following presentations took place: The SMACITE Erasmus+ project (University of Patras). Metacities: Using digital twins for creating Smart Cities (University of Peloponnese). Actions to promote green living spaces for effective cooperation in the Mediterranean region (Region of Western...

The SMACITE project has been presented during the DISCUSS LEARNING 2023 conference on 24th October 2023 in Athens, Greece. The DISCUSS LEARNING 2023 conference has been organized for the 5th year by IDEC SA with the cooperation of the European Digital Learning Network (DLEARN) with the theme "Digital skills and the labor market". The aim of the conference is to highlight the new professions and the new skills required by the digital and green transformation as well as the methodologies and ways of acquiring the new skills through education and professional training. The thematic areas covered...

The national workshop on the SMACITE project in Bulgaria took place during the BASSCOM autumn retreat in the city of Stara Zagora between October 27-29. It was organized by BASSCOM and ESI Center Eastern Europe, which are the Bulgarian partners in the project.The event was attended by the leaders of over 70 BASSCOM member companies, as well as representatives from educational institutions, NGOs - regional partners of two Bulgarian organizations in Stara Zagora and officials from Stara Zagora municipality.The SMACITE project was presented as an opportunity for those looking to go deeper into...

The first national workshop of the SMACITE project in Spain took place at Politeknika Txorierri on October 5th. Representatives from companies, H/VET providers and students got to know the latest news about SMACITE project: the partnership, the project objectives and expected results. Moreover, a representative from Bilbao Ekintza, the Bilbao City Council, joined the workshop and shared with the participants information about the evolution of Bilbao, specifically their plans to transform the island of Zorrozaurre from an old industrial peninsula to a smart innovative urban district. In the...

Following the national workshops on Spain & Bulgaria, the Greek workshop under the title: "Cities and communities ready for the future: Smart growth through new skills for Smart Cities engineers and technicians" is coming up on Thursday the 23rd of November at the University of Patras, Greece. With the kind contribution of experts and engineers in the smart cities field, it aims to present best practices of Greek Smart Cities of Trikala, Kalamata and Patras as well as the SMACITE's project training opportunities to boost the technical and non-technical skills and competences of Smart City...