Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton will engage in a dialogue with EU Mayors from the Living-in.EU movement and the Intelligent Cities Challenge on the green and digital transformation and socio-economic resilience of cities and communities on 2 December.
The dialogue will be organised around two panels of Mayors.
The first interactive panel will focus on planning and implementing the green and digital transformation of the local economy and society, the role of innovation and technology, local green deals and the issue of up and reskilling of the local workforce. The second interactive panel will discuss the potential of technology, data governance in cities, local digital twins for cities and communities to enable their digital transformation.
The event will take place in hybrid format, both in person, in the Square, Brussels, and online.
Due to COVID limitations only Mayors, elected regional leaders and Living-in.eu and ICC organisers will be allowed to be physically present at the event and should register their attendance here before Thursday 25 November COB. Please note that physical participants will be required to present their EU Digital Covid Certificate (Covid Safe Pass) and follow public health measures.
EU Mayors and regional leaders who are not able to be present on site are invited to participate via zoom and should register their attendance here.
All other participants can follow the event via webstream and don't need to register- click to connect in English and in French.
Programme (all times in CET)
13:30 Participants begin to arrive in the venue, technical preparations etc.
Square, Mont des Arts, 1000 Brussels
Tea & Coffee served
14:30 Dialogue between Commissioner Breton and EU Mayors
Online via Zoom (for participants) and Webstreamed
Welcome, housekeeping, introductions, by Ms Meabh McMahon, Euronews (moderator)
14:35 Opening address by Commissioner Thierry Breton
14:45 Address by the Slovenian Presidency, Mr Boštjan Koritnik, Minister of Public Administration of Slovenia
14:48 Video of the Intelligent Cities Challenge initiative
14:50 First interactive panel on green and digital transformation of local economies
15:35 Video message from Oulu, founding member of Living-in.EU
15:38 Second interactive panel on local digital transformation
16:23 Concluding remarks by Commissioner Breton
16:28 Moderator closes the meeting
16:30 End of the meeting
16:30 Networking reception
First interactive panel on green and digital transformation of local economies
How can European cities lead the way to a sustainable, clean, productive future paying the way for the green and digital transition of the EU economy? This panel will explore cities’ post-Covid vision for 2030 and explore the challenges and experiences in implementing sustainable local industrial production and Local Green Deals. The discussion will touch on skills gaps and future labour force needs, how local business and citizens are adapting, as well as addressing collaborative actions to be taken at EU level.
Panelists
- Ms Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor of Barcelona, online
- Mr Jacob Bundsgaard, Mayor of Aarhus, online
- Mr Gencho Kerezov, Deputy Mayor of Sofia, in person
- Mr Grigoris Konstantellos, Mayor of Vari-Voula-Vouliagmeni (Greece), in person
- Mr Peter Kurz, Mayor of Mannheim, online
Second interactive panel on local digital transformation
European cities and communities require further investment in the digital transformation based on sustainable data infrastructure, real time and static data sharing across-domains, cities and borders, handling open and big data and strong data governance embracing public and private stakeholders. Such investments, notably in infrastructure and local digital twins, would enable cities and communities to reap the benefits of digital for improving mobility, energy efficiency, waste management, urban planning, air pollution monitoring, etc.
Panelists
- Mr Juhana Vartiainen, Mayor of Helsinki, online
- Mr Mohamed Ridouani, Mayor of Leuven, in person
- Ms Carmen Carvalheira, Vice-President of the region of Alentejo, in person
- Ms Kata Tüttő, Deputy Mayor of Budapest, online
- Ms Amel Zenati, Counsellor, Grenoble, in person