What is SCALE?
SCALE is a city-led initiative that provides large-scale, long-term support for the cities and projects involved in the H2020 Smart Cities and Communities Lighthouse Group (SCC-LG). SCALE was created with the aim to serve as a unifying element, networking and connecting all Lighthouse projects trying to improve the overall performance and enhance the significance of the SSC-LG Group.
What does SCALE do?
SCALE brings to the table a supporting framework under which it provides enhanced cooperation, design, communication, logistical support, consultations, and application of a stable governance approach. Overall, SCALE has set a number of goals, such as: designing a common brand for European smart cities, providing support for the SCC-LG projects, bridging the SCC-LG community, creating online collaborative space, fostering replication and promoting european collaboration.
Who is behind SCALE?
SCALE is a consortium of partners operating as a service contract under the European Commission and CINEA. The consortium is composed experts from: SPL Lyon Confluence (FRANCE), Blue-Sight Conseil (FRANCE), Algoé (FRANCE), Austrian Institute of Technology (AUSTRIA), Civiesco (ITALY), Energy Cities (BELGIUM), Twenty Communications (SLOVAKIA).
What is SCC-LG?
The Smart Cities and Communities Lighthouse Group (SCC-LG) is a network of cities and other stakeholders such as academia, industry, SMEs or NGOs collaborating together on projects that are funded by the European Commission through the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The aim of the group is to bring together cities, industry and citizens to demonstrate solutions and business models that can be scaled up and replicated, and that lead to measurable benefits in energy and resource efficiency, new markets and new jobs.
What are Lighthouse projects?
Lighthouse projects are large-scale demonstration projects stemming from the Horizon 2020 funding programme. They bring together Lighthouse and Fellow cities that cooperate and work together on piloting smart, technological and social innovations in the areas of mobility, smart buildings, smart infrastructure, citizen engagement, data platforms and city governance. There are 18 project consortia gathering cities, academics, industrial partners, associations, and consultants collaborating together to demonstrate the solutions and prepare the ground for replication elsewhere.
What are Lighthouse and Fellow cities?
Cities are the main engines of economic growth, driving scientific and technological innovation, social mobility and climate-related issues. Within the SCC-LG there are over 120 cities participating with 48 Lighthouse cities and 72 Fellow cities and 5 Observer cities. Lighthouse cities are the key cities that are piloting and deploying the most advanced and innovative solutions. Fellow cities are those that follow closely the demonstration to engage in replication of already deployed solutions.
What is Horizon 2020?
Horizon 2020 is the financial instrument implementing the Innovation Union, a Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness. By coupling research and innovation, Horizon 2020 is helping to achieve this with its emphasis on excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. The goal is to ensure Europe produces world-class science, removes barriers to innovation and makes it easier for the public and private sectors to work together in delivering innovation.
