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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
Press release29 May 2018Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Over 40 European cities take part in 'City Academy' seminar

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The second 'City Academy' seminar for the European Commission’s Digital Cities Challenge brought over 40 European cities to Brussels last week, together with urban development experts, city managers, and industry and policy advisors, to shape their strategic vision and smart growth policies.

The seminar was the first time all 15 'Challenge Cities' could take part in an Academy session. They were joined by a host of 'fellow cities', who are also following the programme with their own resources, as well as 'mentor cities' that volunteer to inspire and share successful practices with the group.

The event was the opportunity for 41 cities to exchanges good practices and showcase their numerous initiatives and experiences. Among the topics discussed were strategic vision, digital transformation governance, open data platforms, and digital transformation of city tourism. Cities and experts were also able to peer review each other’s digital transformation vision and ambition statements.

The innovative training session was successful in creating a network of cities committed to digital transformation. Working groups of joint thematic interests were formed between cities of different digital maturity levels.

With the Digital Cities Challenge now well underway, training for the digital transformation trajectory methodology for the next phases was provided to facilitate the work of cities until the next milestone: the next City Academy seminar scheduled for October 2018.

"The stakes for the Digital Cities Challenge are high. If we want Europe to win in the global race for tech leadership and growth, this has to start in EU cities. This is not just a project. It is the kick-start to a long, exciting journey, and we are partners in this journey. The Challenge gives you international exposure and world-class support to create your territory's future. But you are the principal actors," was the summary by Dana Eleftheriadou, Head of the Advanced Technologies Team at the European Comission.

More information

Digital Cities Challenge

Final wave of cities chosen for the European Commission’s Digital Cities Challenge

First wave of cities chosen for the European Commission’s Digital Cities Challenge

For regular updates and to join the conversation on digital transformation in Europe’s cities follow the hashtag #DigitalCitiesChallenge on Twitter.

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