SMCNetZero

The SMCNetZero project supports cities and companies in accelerating the green transition with tangible initiatives, which are easily accessible, contribute to practical steps towards net-zero, and share best practice across European countries. We aim to make a significant contribution to the effort of achieving net-zero emissions in small-medium sized European cities.

SMCNetZero is an 18-month Horizon Europe-funded project that aims to support Small and Medium-sized Cities (SMCs) in their journey towards achieving net-zero emissions. The project will do this by:

• Creating and strengthening local innovation ecosystems in cities – accelerating the uptake and growth of initiatives, funding opportunities and products that support cities in achieving net-zero

• Creating a Satellite Network of innovation actors including public sector representatives from SMCs, SMEs, academia, NGOs and investors across Europe

• Providing tailored support to SMCs to empower them to make a meaningful impact – how does a roadmap for net-zero look like, what funding opportunities are available to tap in to, who are the relevant stakeholders to consider etc.

• Facilitating the understanding and implications of implementing and scaling up innovation projects in SMCs

• Designing and deploying engagement and knowledge-building activities to ensure maximum impact, with focus on sharing best practice and scale existing solutions from small-medium sized companies across EU

This project is relevant for small and medium sized cities and companies that are open to working with themselves and each other to plan, adopt and implement solutions that support net-zero emissions. As a company you get access to knowledge on how and what European cities are currently preoccupied with, networking opportunities at workshops and other events, share your products use case on the project’s digital platform and possibility of project events sharing best practice.

If this resonates with you and your company and your product(s) support netzero emissions in cities, please reach out to Clara Røder, and she will introduce you to the project and its ressources.

The SMCNetZero project is led by BABLE Smart Cities, a spinoff from the Fraunhofer Institute, and brings together a consortium of renowned partners with strong regional networks. Partners are UrbanDNA, Southern Regional Assembly, ODRAZ, Smart City Cluster in Spain, BLOXHUB and us, WE BUILD DENMARK, with particular focus on the smart city living lab, DOLL.

Current status:
The project is currently in its early stages but has already made significant progress. Already in the first months of the project, 55 SME’s and SMCs across Europe were interviewed to identify market opportunities, challenges, barriers and funding schemes to support cities on their net-zero journey. This market report is the project’s baseline. Furthermore, the launch of the SMCNetZero Digital Platform, a virtual 'one stop shop' simplifying the sharing of knowledge and best practices, enables network amongst cities and improves accessibility to innovation for all stakeholders. Currently, a number of virtual and physical innovation workshops are being held by BLOXHUB on Energy Efficiency, Transport and Mobility and Environmental Sustainability. 

Would you like to know what we discovered about SMCs and SMEs in the market report? Read it here!

Target: 

• Cities with 5.000-100.000 citizens 

• Small and medium companies with smart city solutions that support cities in achieving net-zero