SET 9: the Norwegian EU Network on Smart Cities and Communities

The EU shadow group for energy efficient buildings and Smart Cities aims to increase Norwegian participation in EU-funded research and networking. More and more Norwegian actors gain interest in international cooperation, but the threshold to actual participation is high. In the EU shadow group NTNU and SINTEF Byggforsk take responsibility for representing Norway in relevant European platforms for energy efficiency in buildings and Smart Cities: ECTP (European Construction Technology Platform), E2BA (Energy Efficiency in Buildings Association), Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform, and others. NTNU is also National Liaison Point for E2BA (NLP). The activities of the project are briefly summarized: 1. Active participation in ECTP, E2BA, Smart Cities Stakeholder Platform and other EU activities, to obtain relevant information about EU plans for research and development in this field. 2. Promote Norwegian priorities and research agenda within the next framework program Horizon 2020 and related EU programmes and networks. 3. Anchoring and further development of Norwegian shadow group for energy efficient buildings and smart cities (industry, municipalities, research, education and more), development of communication plan for the dissemination of information on EU research plans through meetings and social media. Participation in the shadow group is open to all interested parties. It originally started with partners in the Research Centre on Zero Emission Buildings, but is now extended to Cities of the Future, Norwegian Smart City projects and other relevant networks. Smart Cities is a relatively new EU initiative, with many relevant opportunities for Norwegian actors. 4. Coordination of project activities with Norwegian activities in other EU fora associated with the EU SET-Plan (SET: Strategic Energy Technology), e.g. EERA JP Smart Cities.

The SCC-network will deliver a targeted effort to increase Norwegian participation and potential success rate in H2020 SCC calls and projects. Together with Norwegian and international experts, the SCC-network partners will exchange knowledge and experience on how to create robust support among local politicians and stakeholders, how to write effective impact and budget sections in their applications, how to create targeted networks locally and internationally, how to build capacity and assess their own strengths and weaknesses, how to mobilize demonstration and research partners, and how to arrange successful consortium workshops and application processes. The SCC-network aims to use the revised SET plan as a motivator for more research and demonstration projects on the urban energy system, contributing to a long-lasting low-carbon society. The SCC-network will contribute to accelerating demand-driven energy transformation in the city, merging the digital and physical, creating a unified effort across sector silos, supporting new business models and financial solutions, improving quality of life and sustainability, and actively engaging and empowering citizens. Building on experiences and principles from the Norwegian Cities of the Future programme, the SCC-network can be developed towards a blueprint for national smart cities strategies. In order to truly develop Norwegian smart cities concepts that are exemplary on a European scale, we need not one or two lighthouse projects but above all dozens of smaller projects, firmly embedded in local governance and business models, capacity and competency building schemes, meeting platforms for sharing trial-and-error experiences, etc. Developing such projects and knowledge sharing arenas as a joint national effort, will increase the strategicy capacity and competency of Norwegian to apply for the H2020 SCC1 Smart Cities and Communities Lighthouse Calls.