DIGITAL SME actively supports Smart Communities by advocating for fair procurement and SME access, facilitating global expansion, bridging urban-rural divides, and fostering social value. Through initiatives like B2Cities events and informative meetings, it connects SMEs with authorities, keeps stakeholders updated, and enables funding access, ensuring effective support for SME interests and growth within the Smart Communities sector.
Smart Communities play a crucial role in modern society, as they strive to enhance the quality of life for residents through the integration of digital tech. By leveraging innovation, these communities address a myriad of challenges, including sustainability, connectivity, and social inclusion.
They serve as dynamic hubs where tech and community intersect, fostering environments that promote economic growth, environmental stewardship, and equitable access to resources. Through collaborative efforts and forward-thinking initiatives, Smart Communities pave the way for a more resilient, inclusive, and prosperous future.
Focus Group Smart Communities
It brings together European digital SMEs and Public Administrations from local, regional and national level to support an open innovation ecosystem where communities can flourish through the deployment of trustworthy digital services made in Europe.
Services and tools on Smart Communities for SMEs
It is dedicated to the advancement of Smart Communities, particularly in rural areas, through the implementation of tailored and innovative technologies. The efficacy of the AURORAL project has been demonstrated through eight successful pilots across Europe, which have entailed the development of pioneering digital services in five areas: farming, tourism, mobility, energy, and health.
The project introduces the SMACITE curriculum, a pioneering initiative aimed at closing the skills gap among Smart Cities technicians and engineers. This curriculum adopts a multidisciplinary, modular, and adaptable framework, seamlessly integrating technical modules focusing on Smart Cities enabling technologies with complementary non-technical modules covering soft, entrepreneurship, and green skills.
Relevant Publications
As emerging technologies play an increasingly greater role in the lives of citizens and their day-to-day tasks, new opportunities and challenges arise for local governments to rethink and modernise their communities. European digital SMEs play a crucial part in this transformation as they are part of the local ecosystem and can deliver solutions compliant with the EU values.
This catalogue of “SME digital solutions for smart cities” showcases the excellence of European digital SMEs to local, national and European Public Administrations. SMEs digital solutions for both urban and rural ecosystems are welcome.