Smacite project

𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝗨𝗽 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗠𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗘 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲!
Smacite project project has just celebrated its final follow-up meeting as the project reaches its conclusion in May 2025. The meeting took place in Athens on May 7, hosted by the Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής / University of West Attica and Universal Certification Solutions - Unicert A.E.. This important milestone allowed us to finalize the remaining activities and ensure the successful closure of the project.

🌟 One of the standout aspects of the Smacite project has been the smooth cooperation and excellent collaboration among all partners. A special mention goes to University of Patras for their remarkable coordination throughout the project which played a key role in keeping everything on track!

Although the project is officially coming to an end, we are committed to maintaining its long-lasting impact through a sustainability and exploitation plan. This ensures that the valuable results and insights gained will continue to benefit the development of digital skills and smart city innovation.

🎉 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲: 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 - 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗲

We are also excited to share the closing conference on May 8, 2025, titled "Smart Skills: Empowering Cities for the Digital Age". The event took place at the University of West Attica Conference Center in Athens.

This event brought together experts, policymakers and industry professionals to discuss digital skills development for the cities of the future. Highlights include:
- Information about Digital Europe and programmes coming from the European Commission to support digital skills related projects.
- Smart city related initiatives being performed in Athens
- Key outcomes from the SMACITE project and other relevant projects such as hashtag , Digital Twin Project and SMARCO Project.
- Insights into smart city innovation and initiatives
- Roundtable discussions on AI-driven governance, public-private collaborations, and digital talent development

🚀 On February 20th,the SMACITE European Workshop – SMARt COmmunities’ Skills Development in Europe workshop brought together 52 participants both in-person at Comet Meetings in Brussels and online.

This 1.5-hour panel explored how public authorities can lead the way by equipping their teams with the digital and transversal competences needed to build, implement, and sustain smart, inclusive, and green local development.

🔍 The session tackled three key themes:

✔️ Core competencies needed for the digital and green transitions
✔️Strategies to bridge skills gaps across urban and rural areas
✔️Best practices in upskilling and workforce development for public procurers and smart engineers

💬 We were honoured to hear from experts and practitioners leading this transformation:

🔵Marek Bobis (European Committee of the Regions)
🔵Oscar Huerta Melchor (OECD)
🔵Martina Desole (ENoLL - Living-in.EU)
🔵Anabel Menica (Politeknika Txorierri – SMACITE Project)
🔵Silvia Assalin (ICLEI – Covenant of Mayors)
🔵Sophie Meszaros (OASC – DS4SSCC)
🔵Justina Bieliauskaite (European DIGITAL SME Alliance – SMARCO Project)

🎤 Moderated by Caterina Bortolaso, Project Manager at European DIGITAL SME Alliance and partner of the SMACITE project, the workshop opened up meaningful discussions and set the stage for collaborative skills development across Europe.

Let’s continue empowering local authorities to not just participate, but to lead the smart communities and cities revolution. 🌍💡

In October 2025, Bilbao will become the epicenter of urban innovation as it hosts the 5th Edition of the Congress of the Spanish Network of Smart Cities (RECI). This event will bring together more than 144 municipalities committed to technological advancement and urban sustainability, positioning Bilbao as a benchmark for smart city development.

At the same time, the European project SMACITE, in which Politeknika Txorierri is actively involved, plays a crucial role in addressing the skills gap among technicians and engineers working in smart city infrastructures and services. SMACITE focuses on designing and testing a professional training program that combines digital competencies in enabling technologies with soft, entrepreneurial, and green skills.

By participating in SMACITE, Politeknika Txorierri reinforces its commitment to high-quality vocational education and training (VET), equipping professionals with the necessary skills to drive innovation in smart cities. The combination of initiatives like SMACITE and events like the RECI Congress highlights the importance of collaboration and specialized training in shaping the cities of the future.

As Bilbao prepares to host this major event, Politeknika Txorierri continues to contribute to the development of cutting-edge educational programs that support the transition towards more sustainable, connected, and intelligent urban environments.

To learn more about SMACITE and its initiatives, visit the official website: https://smacite.eu/en/