AI-Generated Summary
The Smart Cities Marketplace is the European Commission's central platform for fostering smart city innovation and investment across Europe. It supports cities of all sizes in developing sustainable urban projects by providing free-of-charge information, technical assistance, consulting, and matchmaking with financing. The platform connects the entire ecosystem of cities, technology providers, investors, and researchers working to make European cities smarter and more sustainable.
The Marketplace operates several key service lines. Its technical assistance programme provides free expert support to cities developing bankable smart city investment projects. Its matchmaking services connect city projects with an investor network of 17 members, facilitating access to finance. Since 2018, the platform has supported 144 investment projects with an approximate combined value of €1.4 billion. Financing masterclasses help city officials understand and access funding opportunities.
A major component is the Scalable Cities network, a city-led network of 124 cities involved in 20 Smart Cities and Communities projects under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. Working with academia and industry, these cities have delivered over 550 innovative urban solutions. The Green Cities Wiki provides a comprehensive roadmap of initiatives, practical knowledge, and expert insights for city strategists, urban planners, and project managers pursuing climate-neutral and sustainable urban development.
The platform publishes regular news, case studies, and event information, and maintains a knowledge base drawn from hundreds of EU-funded smart city projects. For smart city practitioners, it is an essential starting point for understanding EU funding opportunities, learning from peer cities, and accessing technical support for urban innovation projects.
Primary link: https://smart-cities-marketplace.ec.europa.eu