Building Smarter Cities: From testing in real urban environments to local deployment and scaling

One ecosystem, one journey: from validation in Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEFs), to deployment through European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), to scaling across Europe with the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL).

From urban experimentation to real-world deployment: why this event matters 

Cities and communities across Europe are increasingly exploring artificial intelligence and data-driven technologies to improve mobility, energy efficiency, public services, environmental monitoring and urban planning.

Yet moving from an innovative solution to its effective deployment in a city remains challenging. Technology providers need opportunities to test solutions in realistic environments, access the right technical infrastructures and data, understand the needs of public authorities and demonstrate that their solutions are reliable and ready for use. At the same time, cities and public organisations need support to identify appropriate technologies, assess their value and risks, and move from experimentation towards procurement and operational deployment.

The Digital Europe ecosystem provides different instruments addressing these needs. Test and Experimentation Facilities (TEF) like CitCom.ai, European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), AI Factories, and other European projects and initiatives provide complementary capabilities ranging from testing and experimentation to local innovation support, access to AI infrastructure and expertise, and the development of deployable and secure solutions.

However, as highlighted also in the previous sectoral events on Agri-Food and Health, these initiatives are still perceived by users as separate entry points rather than parts of a connected innovation ecosystem. 

Connecting the Smart Cities innovation ecosystem 

This online event brings different perspectives together and explore how collaboration can make the journey from urban challenge to tested solution and real-world deployment easier. Deploying AI in cities requires more than developing a successful technology. Solutions need the right infrastructure to be developed, tested, secured and ultimately integrated into real urban environments.

Testing and Experimentation Facilities provide real, virtual and physical environments where AI and robotics solutions can be tested and validated under conditions reflecting the complexity of cities and communities, helping innovators assess performance, safety and readiness for deployment.  

European Digital Innovation Hubs complement this capacity by acting as regional innovation entry points for companies and public administrations. Through test-before-invest, skills development, access to finance and connections with the wider innovation ecosystem, EDIHs can help organisations identify and adopt the technologies and services that respond to their digital transformation needs.

AI Factories add another complementary layer by providing access to the advanced AI infrastructure and capabilities needed to develop and accelerate AI solutions. Connecting these capabilities with TEF testing environments and EDIH deployment networks can help create a stronger pathway from AI development to experimentation and real-world uptake.

At the same time, smart and connected cities need to ensure that digital transformation is secure and resilient by design and this is where initiatives funded the DIGITAL EUROPE programme come into play.

Organised by DEDEP.eu, CoordinaTEF and DTA Phase II supporting the network of EDIHs