ASCEND Project

📣 Now open for registration - the #ScalableCities Roadshow on Citizen Engagement and Financing Schemes in the Energy Transition in Dublin, Ireland from 6-7 February, 2025. 💡 Participants will explore citizen engagement strategies, learn about diverse financial models such as crowdfunding, equity financing and cooperatives, and gain valuable insights from other cities and financial experts. 🌇 Invited to apply are cities developing or having developed projects with the following characteristics: participatory processes like citizens' assemblies, crowdfunding/equity financing projects, implementation of public-community business models, shared energy purchasing, innovation citizen funds, cooperatives for energy transition projects. There are 8 spots for cities working on developing or having developed projects on citizen engagement and financing. A travel support budget is also available for up to 900 euros. Register today 👉 https://lnkd.in/e3VFGSUt Baptiste Mougeot LYON CONFLUENCE Maxime Valentin Bernhard KLASSEN Andreas Baernreuther ASCEND Project - Munich R2M Solution DKSR - Data Competence Center for Cities & Regions Porto Digital Adeeb Sidani Selina Lorenz Monica Barroso, PhD Etienne Vignali Dr. Stefan Synek Laura Dieguez Michal Kuzmic Kinga Lőcsei-Tóth Jana Vanicka Civinova Tudor Drambarean

🌍 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 💡 Join 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗗 for an exciting 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 with AtelierH2020, POCITYF, and NEUTRALPATH project as we explore real-world experiences in building energy communities across 20 European cities! 🌐 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱? Dive into the diverse 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀, and 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 that these pioneering projects are implementing to create Positive Energy Districts. From technical insights to social and regulatory aspects, this event will provide 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 for energy experts, city representatives, and researchers. 🗣️ 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘀: • Eva Winters, TNO (AtelierH2020): Amsterdam Energy Community – Challenges and Solutions • Humberto Queiroz, EDP (POCITYF): Energy Community Valverde, Évora – Lessons from Portugal • Anh-Minh V., City of Dresden (NEUTRALPATH project): Navigating Germany’s Energy Community Landscape • Wojciech Bełch, ČVUT UCEEB (ASCEND): Investment and Business Perspectives in Energy Communities 💬 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 Omar Shafqat, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. 📅 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 28 November 2024 🕚 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 11:00–12:30 CET 💻 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Online Webinar 🔗 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/ebB39B9P Don’t miss this chance to gain actionable insights and a fresh perspective on the future of energy communities! 🌱 #EnergyCommunities #PositiveEnergyDistricts #ASCEND #ATELIER #POCITYF #NEUTRALPATH #Webinar #SustainableCities #UrbanInnovation Baptiste Mougeot, Philippe Fournand, Thomas Fouchault, Andreas Baernreuther, Dr. Stefan Synek, Denisa Pevná, Jana Vanicka Civinova, Michal Kuzmic, Marek Smid, Ana Isabel Silva, Lisa Enarsson, Rosalía Simón de Lama, Dr.-Ing. Alanus von Radecki, Selina Lorenz, Veronika Cerna, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Energy Cities, DKSR - Data Competence Center for Cities & Regions, CARTIF, University of St.Gallen, AdEPorto - Agência de Energia do Porto, ČVUT UCEEB, OICT, ASCEND Project - Munich, LYON CONFLUENCE

🚀 𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐚𝐭 #𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐖𝐂𝟐𝟒: 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 🌍 During the Smart City Expo World Congress ASCEND hosted a series of impactful booth sessions where our partners shared practical insights and engaged in dynamic discussions that helped shed light on the way we develop Positive Clean Energy Districts across Europe. 🌆 𝘽𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 Moderated by Veronika Cerna, our session explored the evolution of smart city collaboration, featuring insights with RESPONSE and NEUTRALPATH project and emphasised the need to act quickly and harness collaborative frameworks to effectively scale sustainable solutions. • Philippe Fournand (Blue-Sight Conseil, ASCEND): Provided an overview of the Smart Cities network’s growth, underscoring the importance of collaborative strategies in scaling PCEDs. • Hadrien Rouchette (Dijon Métropole, RESPONSE): Highlighted Dijon's integrated PEDs strategy, supported by EU initiatives like NetZeroCities. • Adeeb Sidani (Porto Digital, ASCEND): Presented Porto’s focus on local energy efficiency, including innovative measures for EV infrastructure. • Anh-Minh V. (Dresden, NEUTRALPATH project): Shared Dresden’s renewable energy priorities and the development of business models to enhance urban living. 🤝 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙎𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙊𝙪𝙩𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 At the Porto Digital booth, Philippe Fournand met with Vice Mayor Filipe Araújo to discuss the ins and outs of the development of a PCED in Porto. The session showcased ASCEND’s role in advancing climate neutrality targets in Porto, following the steps of our two Lighthouse cities: Lyon and Munich and illustrated how Porto’s progress confirms ASCEND’s approach to drive impactful, scalable urban transformations. 🔋 𝘽𝙖𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙝: 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙣𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙨 This session showcased ASCEND’s initiatives in Munich featuring: • Dr. Stefan Synek & Ivan Selednikov: Presented the integrating charging infrastructure within urban projects, supporting sustainable mobility in Munich. • Andreas Baernreuther & Konstantin Brenner: Highlighted the use of digital twins to enhance the implementation of PCEDs through advanced urban planning and data analysis. 👉 We extend our gratitude to all the city representatives who actively participated in these discussions. Your diverse insights enriched the dialogue and exemplified the collaborative spirit of the ASCEND community. #ASCEND #SmartCities #PositiveEnergyDistricts #ClimateAction Baptiste Mougeot, Thomas Fouchault, Denisa Pevná, Jana Vanicka Civinova, Michal Kuzmic, Marek Smid, Ana Isabel Silva, Lisa Enarsson, Dr.-Ing. Alanus von Radecki, Selina Lorenz, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Energy Cities, DKSR - Data Competence Center for Cities & Regions, CARTIF, University of St.Gallen, AdEPorto - Agência de Energia do Porto, ČVUT UCEEB, OICT, ASCEND Project - Munich, LYON CONFLUENCE

📢 𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐚𝐭 #𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐖𝐂𝟐𝟒: 𝐀 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🌍 🔎 Last week at Smart City Expo World Congress, we contributed to several workshops at the Expo, by bringing the PCED concept at the forefront of climate neutrality in cities.  We co-organised a workshop on Business Models and Financing for Energy Communities with our sister project NEUTRALPATH project, and participated in key discussions across several other important sessions. Read on below: 🌱 𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙀𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 Together with NEUTRALPATH project, we examined in this session financial strategies to support energy communities across Europe. Key points included: • David Škorňa (Kladno, ASCEND): Shared lessons on stakeholder alignment and challenges in energy storage. • Selina Lorenz (University of St.Gallen, ASCEND): Presented the PCED card game, shifting focus to community-driven business models. • Baptiste Mougeot (LYON CONFLUENCE, ASCEND): Demonstrated how local renewable energy projects benefit residents. • Adeeb Sidani (Porto Digital, ASCEND): Highlighted tailored solutions for diverse communities in Porto. • Miguel Zarzuela Cepero (Zaragoza, NEUTRALPATH project): Discussed public housing projects achieving significant energy savings. 💡 Next Step: The workshop underscored the importance of creating tailored, community-driven business models that prioritise local engagement and financial resilience. 💼 𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚: 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙎𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙢 We contributed to discussions on various aspects and stakeholder needs  for a creation of an adapted financial framework and the need to empower cities and a push for a collective action that would bring together cities, businesses and investors. . Together with other participants, we explored creating standardised agreements and empowering municipalities to accelerate climate investments. 🔍 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥 We joined this session organised by Scalable Cities, moderated by Ghazal Etminan and Dr.-Ing. Hans-Martin Neumann, assessing the long-term impacts of SCC projects. and looked at the commonalities, differences, learnings and best practices of Lighthouse and Fellow Cities and how they achieved them. 🌐 𝙁𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 ASCEND participated in dialogues on sustaining the collaborative efforts of Scalable Cities. The focus was on replicating solutions and strengthening partnerships for the future and  achieving climate neutral cities. 👉 More updates from ASCEND’s involvement at #SCEWC24 coming soon. #ASCEND #SmartCities #Sustainability #ClimateAction #UrbanTransformation #EnergyCommunities #ImpactAssessment © Euromed Consulting Group

🚀 𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐚𝐭 #𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐖𝐂𝟐𝟒: 𝐏𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 🌍 🔔 Just a week ago, Smart City Expo World Congress brought together key urban players from across the globe, and ASCEND was at the forefront with a dynamic presence. We engaged and presented in several booth sessions, both at the EC stand as well as at our city booths, spoke about our experience from Stockholm in an agora session, and co-organised a workshop on Business Models and Financing with NEUTRALPATH project. At the same time, 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗗 was represented in side events on speed and scale, impact assessment, and the future of Scalable Cities, as well as in several task group meetings, with a strong presence from cities including Lyon, Munich, Porto, Prague, and Stockholm across 4 different booths. Here’s a glimpse into the key activities and collaborations that underscored our commitment to transforming urban ecosystems: 📜 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 Highlighting our dedication to climate action, 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗗 was proud to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with NetZeroCitiesEU, underscoring our commitment to implementing scalable and impactful urban solutions across Europe. 🌱 𝘼𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙖 𝙎𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 Moderated by Veronika Cerna (Scalable Cities Secretariat), this session focused on the vital role of community-driven initiatives in fostering Positive Energy Districts. Notable speakers included: • Jörgen Lööf (ASCEND, ElectriCITY) emphasised the critical role of citizen engagement and shared how ElecriCITY harnesses local involvement to implement sustainable solutions and innovative digital tools. 💬 "Start with yourself and get your neighbours to join. That’s how we build the momentum needed to scale up." • Baptiste Mougeot (ASCEND, LYON CONFLUENCE) highlighted the collective strength of the Scalable Cities Secretariat, representing a network of 20 SCC projects, including 𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗗. • Anh-Minh V. (NEUTRALPATH project, Landeshauptstadt Dresden) discussed Dresden’s citizen-driven sustainability strategies. • Dirk Ahlers (Re-Value, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)) explored the impact of co-creation and involving young people in urban projects. • Leen Peeters (Th!nk E, Citizen-led Renovation Project) emphasised the importance of initiating projects with strong community engagement. 🙏 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂 We extend our deepest gratitude to all participants, speakers, and moderators who contributed to the richness of the discussions at #SCEWC24. Your collaborative energy fuels our ongoing efforts to build smarter, more sustainable, and climate-neutral cities. 👉 Keep following us for more updates and insights from the sessions and workshops that highlighted ASCEND's proactive role at the event. #EUSmartCities #Sustainability #ClimateAction #UrbanTransformation #CommunityEngagement #PositiveEnergyDistricts

🙏🏼 Many thanks to our partner Porto Digital and Adeeb Sidani for hosting us at the #Porto booth at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona! 🤝 Our representative Philippe Fournand met with the Vice Mayor of Porto Filipe Araújo to discuss the development of the Positive Clean Energy District #PCED in Porto showcasing how is our project supporting the climate neutral and net zero objectives in Porto and also in other ASCEND cities across Europe. #SCEWC2024 #eusmartcities #PCED #climateneutrality #netzero #energy #ScalableCities Baptiste Mougeot Thomas Fouchault Andreas Baernreuther Dr. Stefan Synek Denisa Pevná Jana Vanicka Civinova Michal Kuzmic Marek Smid Ana Isabel Silva Lisa Enarsson Rosalía Simón de Lama Dr.-Ing. Alanus von Radecki Selina Lorenz Eugenia Brignone Fois Veronika Cerna Marek Dorda AIT Austrian Institute of Technology Energy Cities DKSR - Data Competence Center for Cities & Regions CARTIF University of St. Gallen - HSG AdEPorto - Agência de Energia do Porto ČVUT UCEEB OICT ASCEND Project - Munich LYON CONFLUENCE

🎉 Great to see our partners from the City of #Munich to be part of the Smart City Expo World Congress 2024 and presenting the work and activities that are being carried out in the city within the scope of our project! #scewc #pced #smartcity #digitaltwins Andreas Baernreuther Dr. Stefan Synek Konstantin Brenner Ivan Selednikov

🌟 In the week of 15 to 18 October, the ASCEND lighthouse and multiplier cities 🏙 came together to participate in a joint workshop, organised by Energy Cities and  hosted by the Stockholms stad, that focused on capacity building with three Expert Training sessions and multiple site visits. Workshop participants visited three exciting sites in the city of Stockholm, #Loudden district, #RoyalSeaport and #HammarbySjöstad, a renowned eco-district 🌇 . Working with the  PCED Business Model Assembler, our two facilitators Selina Lorenz and Monica Barroso, PhD from Institute of Technology Management, University of St.Gallen (ITEM-HSG) took participants from the Stockholms stad, an ASCEND multiplier city, and the City of #Munich, a lighthouse city, through the various stages of building a city solution.  Thanks to the playful aspect of the card game, participants were able to rethink the solutions from various stakeholders’ perspectives and create innovative models for city solutions, adapted to their specific local context with a lot more ease. ✨ The Stockholm workshop was a fantastic opportunity to meet in person and help cities build capacity, exchange valuable insights and develop sustainable and innovative urban solutions! 🔗 Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/edZSMJQX Sebastián Oviedo, Baptiste Mougeot, Etienne Vignali, Andreas Baernreuther, Dr. Stefan Synek, Selina Lorenz, Laura Dieguez, Michal Kuzmic, Jana Vanicka Civinova, Denisa Pevná, Ana Isabel Silva, Adeeb Sidani, Kinga Lőcsei-Tóth, Philippe Fournand, Veronika Cerna, LYON CONFLUENCE, Métropole de Lyon, Urban Practices, Stadtwerke München GmbH, Technical University of Munich, Isarwatt eG, Spectrum Mobil GmbH, UnternehmerTUM, AdEPorto - Agência de Energia do Porto, Águas do Porto, EM, Porto Digital, Bernhard KLASSEN, Andreas Baernreuther, Lisa Enarsson, Sarah Nilsson, Eduardo Blanco, Energy Cities, DKSR - Data Competence Center for Cities & Regions, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology

🚛 𝐒𝐏𝟒 – 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭: #AlbaIulia’s Car Charging Infrastructure 🌍 Alba Iulia is accelerating its transition to electric mobility by expanding its network of car charging stations, supporting the city’s goals to reduce CO₂ and improve urban air quality. With over 60 additional stations planned, this project is part of a broader strategy to make sustainable travel accessible. 🔧 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀: Offering dual-mode AC/DC charging, the network provides flexible charging speeds for all electric vehicle owners. 💡 💼 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀: • 𝙍𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙊₂ 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙨 and improves air quality • 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘 𝙢𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 with reliable infrastructure 🌱 💰 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 + 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Getting funded through various national and regional programs, the municipality partners with private companies for installation and maintenance, ensuring accessible and reliable services. 🔄 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 & 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: The model is fully scalable and replicable across urban areas, meeting the rising demand for electric mobility infrastructure. 🚀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: The project leverages flexible technology for users, integrates local energy sources, and is complemented by government subsidies for replacing old polluting vehicles with electric models. #ElectricVehicles #SustainableMobility #SmartCities #SP4 #GreenInfrastructure #Innovation Tudor Drambarean, Ioana Cioloca, Sebastián Oviedo, Baptiste Mougeot, Etienne Vignali, Andreas Baernreuther, Dr. Stefan Synek, Selina Lorenz, Laura Dieguez, Michal Kuzmic, Jana Vanicka Civinova, Denisa Pevná, Ana Isabel Silva, Adeeb Sidani, Kinga Lőcsei-Tóth, Philippe Fournand, Veronika Cerna, Thomas Fouchault

Join the discussion on Building Better Cities in Europe through Positive Energy Districts at @SCEWC24, tomorrow! The agenda is full of interesting case studies from across European cities and will showcase innovative projects contributing to sustainable urban development. Check out the full agenda below with speakers and projects. #SCEWC24 #eusmartcities #PED #PCED #climateneutrality #smartcities POCITYF AtelierH2020 MAKING-CITY EU