On the 12th and 13th of March 2025, EURADA took part in the General Assembly of the POCITYF project, held in the city of Bari. Organised at Officina degli Esordi, a creative hub in the city centre, the two-day event brought together partners from across Europe to review the project's progress and coordinate the next steps in transforming historic cities into smart and sustainable urban environments.
The meeting began with a warm welcome from the Commune of Bari, who underlined the importance of European cooperation in building greener, more innovative cities. This was followed by an overview of the project from the coordinator, EDP Labelec, and progress updates from the two Lighthouse Cities: Évora, represented by EDP Labelec and CME, and Alkmaar, presented by NEC and Gemeente Alkmaar. These sessions highlighted recent developments, shared data, and set out plans for upcoming activities within their respective work packages.
A strong focus was placed on the technical aspects of the project, including the evaluation and benchmarking of demonstration activities, as well as cost-benefit and environmental assessments led by CERTH. The Finnish partner VTT facilitated an engaging workshop on Positive Energy Districts, exploring the real-life desirability, feasibility, and implementation of these models in urban contexts. In the afternoon, partners participated in a collaborative session on sustainable business models, coordinated by RINA, AIT, EDP Labelec, and Gemeente Alkmaar.
The day concluded with a presentation of replication plans from fellow cities, including Bari, Granada, Ioannina, and Hvidovre, each detailing their strategies for adopting the POCITYF solutions within their local contexts. In a more informal setting, participants enjoyed a walking tour through Bari’s historic city centre, followed by a networking dinner.
The second day of the Assembly featured a technical site visit to two local implementation areas: the AMIU site and a nearly zero-energy school building (nZEB), both offering concrete examples of Bari’s drive toward a more sustainable and digitalised urban environment. In the afternoon, ICONS led a session on communication and dissemination activities, while EDP Labelec provided updates on financial and administrative management. A presentation from the City of Bari offered further insight into their involvement in the project.
The General Assembly concluded with a workshop on citizen engagement, led by the Scalable Cities initiative, which underlined the importance of community participation in ensuring the long-term success of smart city initiatives.
