Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Urban planning and management require the analysis and integration of data ranging from zoning laws and buildings to overground infrastructure (street networks and their amenities, rail networks, etc.) and underground infrastructure (sewage, gas, electricity, heat, and water supply networks). Besides this complex physical urban fabric, urban planning and management cover intangible features such as administrative organisation, flows of goods and services, environmental determinants, demographic, social, and economic trends, evolving social values, behaviours, and local cultures.
Since the 1980-ties, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrating urban information within layers of data and translating them into tables, graphs, and maps, were introduced in urban planning with the purpose to allow a more efficient data collection, analysis, aggregation, and management, enabling planning and decision-making for increasingly sustainable and innovative cities. However, given the rapid digitalisation of almost every aspect of urban life and the increase in complexity and variety of data over the last decades, the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) opens promising, new opportunities for embedding sustainability and climate-neutrality concepts in urban planning and management. AI-based applications (including generative AI) and tools such as machine learning (ML), neural networks (NNs), deep learning, autonomous systems, pattern recognition, simulation modelling – Digital Twins, Internet of Things (IoT), etc. can be harnessed to guide decision-making, predict trends, develop scenarios, optimize resource allocation, engage citizens, and further enhance and promote human creativity, inclusiveness and well-being in urban planning and design.
Detailed Call Description
This topic explores the use and integration of AI-based applications and tools, particularly of Digital Twins, in urban planning and management.
Proposals should contain a comprehensive state-of-the-art of existing AI applications and tools for urban planning and management and evidence of relevant skills for the development of Digital Twins.
Proposals are invited to develop a Digital Twin model that complies with the following requirements:
- Integrates within the urban planning process and practice and supports the development of medium- and long-term strategic visions at city level for achieving a climate-neutral city.
- Supports decision-making and prioritization of policies and investment for sustainable, energy-efficient, and climate-neutral measures and solutions through visualization, prediction, diagnosis, assessement and prevention.
- Incorporates static physical urban characteristics such as topography, buildings, overground, underground, blue-green infrastructures, energy and heat grid, also considering the EU buildings dataset from the EU_LDT toolbox and at least two of the following urban features as variables:
- Urban functions – zoning, land-use.
- Mobility modes and services, including freight transport and logistics.
- Energy generation and consumption, including energy generation from RES and energy storage infrastructure (e.g., heat grid).
- Weather forecast and reduction of pollutant emissions.
- Socio-demographic, economic and cultural trends.
- Provides different scenarios for achieving climate-neutrality as well as the possibility to simulate the impacts when prioritizing the implementation of specific policies, measures, or solutions for the other areas/sectors, and for the city as a whole. When defining climate-neutral scenarios, both forecasting and backcasting methodologies could be employed.
- Evaluates potential use cases, and assesses the potential of replication of developed Digital Twins, in other cities.
- Allows, using its flexible features, the estimation of the resources needed to implement the different projected scenarios.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
70%
Expected EU contribution per project: €6.00 million.
Thematic Categories
- Energy
- Environment and Climate Change
- Information and Communication Technologies
- Information Technology
- Land Development
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Telecommunications
- Urban Development
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Educational Institutions
- Large Enterprises
- Legal Entities
- Local Authorities
- NGOs
- Other Beneficiaries
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
- Training Centres
Eligibility For Participation Notes
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.
The following exceptions apply: subject to restrictions for the protection of European communication networks.
If projects use satellite-based earth observation, positioning, navigation and/or related timing data and services, beneficiaries must make use of Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS (other data and services may additionally be used).
The following additional eligibility criteria apply:
At least three cities, each from a different Member State or Associated Country, must participate as beneficiaries. At least one of the three cities must be one of the 112 cities selected for the EU Mission on Climate-neutral and Smart Cities.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
Address: 29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia, P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Person:
Mr. Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy