<< Objectives >>The project objectives are:- enhance and upskill the competences of municipal employees in order to enable them to design climate neutral cities strategies, such as Climate City Contracts- raise awareness of municipal employees regarding EU policies focusing on tackling climate change in cities- equip the target groups with innovative digital learning tools that enable distance learning;- raise awareness about issues related to urban sustainability<< Implementation >>The activities that will be implemented are:- Development of a Roadmap for Designing Local Strategies for Climate Neutral Cities to upskill municipal employees;- Development of a «Transition to Climate Neutral Cities» training course;- Development of «Success Stories of initiatives for the Transition to climate neutrality in cities» videos;- Development of a «Transition to Climate Neutral Cities» Online Hub.<< Results >>- Foster motivation, skills, and mindset of municipal employees and elected officers regarding the benefits of sustainable urban development and the transition to climate neutrality;- Raise municipal employees and elected officers’ awareness about the importance of EU policies supporting climate neutral cities and specifically the role of Climate City contracts. - Create an innovative digital learning system on urban climate neutrality in order to improve the quality of training and education;

<< Background >>Over the past few years, civil applications of Drones or UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) technologies have been transitioning from purely industrial applications to commercial ones and their impact on transport operations can no longer be ignored. The concept of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) has been coined to describe a new type of air traffic at very low altitude over populated areas. Despite the readiness of the technology, the multidisciplinary employee teams of Local Authorities are not prepared for its integration in transport plans. There are no Training Programs for employees of Local Authorities to cultivate the required knowledge and skills to manage UAM, especially from the position of authorising, implementing and controlling UAM operations. Previous experience of Local Authorities with innovative transport services has indicated that early engagement and training of employees constitutes a key factor for the efficient integration of new technologies in transport systems.<< Objectives >>UAMschool4cities addresses in a timely manner this need and opportunity, aiming at the creation of a Training Programme for Local Authority employees to get familiar with the UAM concept and acquire necessary skills to deal with the uptake of UAM services following the recent approval of the U-Space (urban airspace) by the European Commission (Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/664; effective from 26 January 2023) that allows the provision of drone services in urban environments. In order to foster employability, socio-educational and personal development, our curriculum will also be suitable for young Professionals not yet familiar with UAM. In particular, UAMschool4cities aims to create a MOOC program for building the capacity of future employees of any background interested in entering the Public Administration sector to enable them to (1) familiarize with UAM concepts and key technologies, (2) keep up with relevant UAM regulatory frameworks while determining the challenges and for Local Authorities (3) include UAM in their urban development agendas and (4) start developing responsible and socially acceptable UAM services for the benefit of their citizens.<< Implementation >>Our project will develop partnerships between Cities, Training Institutions, ICT, Drone companies and VET providers aiming at promoting and providing initial and/or continuing training to their staff in order to help people gain skills and effectively integrate these career pursuits into their work setting which is in line with the VET priority: Enhancing access to training and qualifications for all. To achieve this objective, a concrete methodology including the following activities will be applied:a) Conduction of a current needs’ analysis in skills mismatches in UAMb) Preparation of a Training Course for “UAM for Cities Certificate”.c) Development of a Training programme for ‘’UAM for Cities Certificate”.d) Implementation of the curricula to relevant personnel and certification.<< Results >>Through these activities, it is envisaged that, by the end of the project, people in a minimum of 10 cities will be trained and awarded an “UAM for Cities Certificate” By developing a new learning framework for “UAM experts”, the project´s impact will be achieved through:a) Enhanced employability through skills and competences strengthening and access to training and qualification on equal termsb) The establishment of a coherent methodology with specific tools that will enhance the provision of transport services covering emerging needsc) the establishment of a mechanism that will provide cities with skilled and qualified UAM experts, increasing standardization of servicesd) the design and delivery of a comprehensive framework for UAM experts to national and EU administrationse) A coherent multi-level dissemination strategy to reach target groups, ensure that project results´dissemination and sustainable, specific and measurable exploitation specific, while maximizing its reach and impact to relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries.

"Den-Cupid consortium consists of eight partners with diverse but complementary background in the field of cultural heritage management including Universities, SMEs, cultural associations, authority representatives and other stakeholders. Among others, the joint activities included the conduction of three transnational project meetings, where the partners established their functional cooperation schema, decided on the strategic pathways to be followed throughout the project, monitored the project evolution and took any mitigation measures whenever needed. One main axis of the project was the conduction of four international educational workshops in equal European host-countries, with over 70 participants in total. Experienced trainers guided the workshop discussions in order to present both in theory and in practice major cultural heritage managerial issues, provide well-structured cultural projects for local authorities or private stakeholders, highlight the best practices on cultural sustainability and explore the process of ultimately receiving funding for a future cultural project. The interaction with and among the trainees in those physical meetings was beneficial to both ends, as on one hand the trainers could effectively showcase invaluable insights based on their working experience and on the other hand the trainees could identify future collaboration frameworks and extend their perspectives individually or organizational wide. The main results of the project, which are openly available, may be concluded as follows; A) The proposition of a training methodology for any interested party in the cultural heritage management sector, B) The collection of valuable training material to be used as a guide for further development, C) The provision of a benchmark-type and needs' assessment educational survey of the participant countries, D) The showcase of four real-life cultural scenarios, where a significant number of different stakeholders is profiled and may inspire future relative activities, E) The provision of a collaborative electronic educational platform as a tool to establish new cooperation, receive mentoring from expert individuals, promote entrepreneurial mentality, improve skills and competencies, exchange insights and ideas.The above results were disseminated by all partners, mostly by the participating networks, through the participation in national and international cultural conferences and workshops, via the integrated project channels and by any bilateral networking initiated within the range of the project. In a few words, the legacy of the project may be concluded as a ""one-stop-shop"" for any interested stakeholder involved in the world of cultural heritage management to receive insights for competency improvement."

The SPARROW platform represents a pioneering solution for enhancing societal resilience and crisis management in the face of digital breakdowns. Employing a modular architecture encompassing data integration, simulation modeling, and a collaborative platform, SPARROW orchestrates large datasets and expert insights to create a dynamic digital twin of a city. This digital twin, visualized in 3D, becomes a robust testing ground for assessing vulnerabilities and preparing for diverse crisis scenarios. Through a participatory approach involving citizens, local authorities, and first responders, the platform fosters communication during breakdowns and bolsters preparedness against digital threats. SPARROW's innovative tools, including the Emergency Communication Mobile App (ECOMAPP), City Digital Twin (CITWIN), and the Dynamic Critical Asset Management Recommendation Engine (DYCAMARE), are co-designed with stakeholders to ensure user-friendly, effective, and ethically sound functionalities. The platform's impact extends across various sectors, from critical infrastructure managers optimizing maintenance to emergency responders utilizing a mobile 5G network (EMER-5G) for prioritized communication (ECOPRIM). In alignment with EU policies, SPARROW aims to enhance crisis communication, bridge gaps in digital breakdown preparedness, and contribute to a secure and resilient European way of life.

The Connected and Adaptive Maintenance for Safer Urban and Secondary Roads project (‘CAMBER’) aims to develop and demonstrate improved safety monitoring across urban and secondary rural road networks through real-time data feedback into road maintenance systems and proven low-cost interventions. Performance metrics based on new-generation data sources will provide road managers up-to-date information on safety issues, damage, and routine maintenance and upgrade needs. Data collated from a range of sources, such as telematics, vehicle and smartphone sensors, and road user feedback, will feed into safety assessment models to flag what measures are required to ensure a safe road environment for all road users, including road-user minority groups with varying design needs, such as powered two-wheelers (PTW). CAMBER will support this through much-need research and testing of low-cost road safety interventions and low-impact maintenance techniques, including those for vehicles with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The approaches will be demonstrated on urban and road networks in five European countries. CAMBER’s economically-sound solutions and new knowledge will be communicated through established networks to European road managers, policymakers and industry to support the decision-making and investment needed for more efficient maintenance for safer urban and secondary roads.