Living-in.EU is an initiative involving 169 local, regional and national governments, helping them develop digital technology to achieve their sustainability and climate neutrality goals. The Living-in.EU Digital Assembly is the annual political event of the movement, providing an opportunity to debate its priorities. The theme is regions’ and cities’ needs for digital transformation, focused on digital innovation ecosystems and digital inclusion at local and regional levels.
- Local and regional | National | Digital and ICT
- Code: 09PW241372
- Jacques Delors building, JDE 51
Moderator
Practical information
- When
-
Wed 09/10/2024, 14:30 - 16:00 CET
- Where
- Jacques Delors building, JDE 51
- Type of partnership
- Partnership
- Format
- CoR Political WorkShop
- Theme
-
Smart and sustainable growth for regions
- Languages
- English, French, Spanish
Partners
Reporting
Session summary
1. Continuous support for multi-level governance: Sustained support is necessary for initiatives like the Living-in.EU movement, which gathers local, regional, and national governments to collaborate on digital transformation with their local stakeholders. A strong emphasis was placed on the role of collaboration across those different levels of governance to accelerate digital transformation, and on additional support needed to assist smaller municipalities, SMEs and stakeholders who are lagging behind in the digital transition. It is important to earmark funding for local and regional administrations in the current programming period, but also for the next MFF. EU funding boosts the cities’ and regions’ resources to develop technological solutions for addressing the challenges their face – from optimising energy efficiency of public buildings, through waste management, to providing pro-active public services online.
2. People-centred digital transformation: The Living-in.EU Digital Assembly strongly called for placing citizens at the heart of digital initiatives. This approach ensures that technological advancements are inclusive, accessible, and address the diverse needs of all community members. Digital rights should be prioritised, ensuring that people, not tools, are the focus of transformation efforts.
3. Addressing fragmentation in local digital innovation ecosystems: Strengthening the role of cities and regions is essential, as they can mobilise their ecosystem to ensure a just and comprehensive digital transformation in their territory. As such, well-connected local and regional innovation ecosystems are key, and the digital sector can serve as a laboratory for fostering strong, place-based ecosystems and enhancing their connectivity at the EU level. Instruments like Digital Innovation Hubs, EDICs and Regional Innovation Valleys are vital, but a stronger framework is needed to support these efforts. Cohesion policy, industrial policy and R&I policy should work together to leverage various funding instruments to enhance collaboration and address governance issues.
Quotes
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"Living-in.EU helped us focus not only on the economic and technological dimensions but also on the social and environmental aspects of digital transformation"
“Digitalisation is the oxygen that will create opportunities to solve human challenges, only if it’s human centred and based in nature”
“We joined this movement quite recently, but it has given a real boost to our city’s digital transformation. It worked for Riga, and it will work for any other city”
"It is essential to finance territories that can't afford these technologies, and regions can help smaller municipalities effectively access European funding"
"We have always focused on a digital transformation that places digital rights at the forefront, ensuring the people, not the tools, are the priority."
“Being chair and an active member in Living-in.EU makes it possible to lead the way and be a bridge between EU cities and regions to answer a very relevant question: How can we boost a digital transformation that also boosts socio-economic transformation?
“One of the most exciting developments is our EDIC (European Digital Infrastructure Consortium), which mobilises investments to acquire infrastructure."
Additional links
https://living-in.eu/news/living-ineu-digital-assembly-2024-think-big-start-small-and-scale-fast
https://errin.eu/news/reflecting-2024-living-ineu-digital-assembly
