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Participation Inclusion and Engagement of Communities in Europe

AT A GLANCE

Born from the statement that it is becoming rarer and rarer for people to be in touch with their local communities and to create networks that are both local and offline in today’s world, PIECE seeks to establish and empower community spaces and activities that can help people connect and build networks within their local communities.

Objectives:

PIECE aims to address the needs of communities in Europe through the training, education, and empowerment of community workers. Through this project, beneficiaries will enhance their skills and employability and in turn enhance the social inclusion, skills, and employability of the people they will train, involve in their activities, and come in contact with thus creating a virtuous circle of empowerment.

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A cross disciplinary service learning platform integrating design, business, botanics and technology

AT A GLANCE

Green Skills 4 Cities” aims to establish a transdisciplinary educational platform targeted at the development of skills in the field of NBS implementation in cities. The project will bring together trainers and learners from the fields of botany, technology, design, and economy and cities involving them in an unique transdisciplinary learning environment aiming at the development of curricula targeted at working in the public sector.

Green Skills for Cities aims to develop three programmes: the Training for Trainers Programme, the Short Term Programme and the Long Term Programme. All the resources for the programmes will be stored in an Online Resource Repository Platform which will be open to anyone who is interested in looking at the resources or developing the programmes for themselves. In addition, the partners will host online webinars and in-person national symposiums.

Objectives:

  • Develop curricula of professionals targeted at NBS implementation, thus increasing cities sustainability;
  • Increase the quality and relevance of higher education, focusing on the transdisciplinary dimension, to better respond to the labour markets needs;
  • Reinforce networks in the field of urban sustainable development, establishing collaborations between HEIs, RTOs and municipalities, thus facilitating the introduction of the learners in the labour market;
  • Produce results that are reusable, transferable and up-scalable.

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Educating for Inclusion

AT A GLANCE

The project outcomes and results aim directly at the inclusion of people with fewer opportunities, specifically migrants, which are prone to intersectional marginalisation through a combination of ethnic discrimination and social-economic deprivation.
The project identifies the need for capacity building that enables migrant associations to get involved in the inclusion and diversity strategies through curriculum building and capacity training aimed at low participation barriers in democratic co-creation processes at the local level.
Communication and cooperation between local municipalities, migrant residents and migrant associations require intercultural capacities and target-group specific methods from both the public policy-making bodies and the migrant associations.

By combining municipal and migrant community actors from different national contexts and city sizes, we have joined a wide spectrum of knowledge, experiences and perspectives on inclusion and diversity in European cities. The localities of Berlin, Germany; Gdansk, Poland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Palermo, Italy; Budapest, Hungary represent a variety of sizes and contexts but share common goals and challenges.

Objectives:

At the REGIONAL/LOCAL level:

  • To encourage the initiation, negotiation and implementation of migrant-sensitive policies and strategies in and by further localities and organisations inspired by partners’ activities in the same region or country, to want to create new models for successful paths of migrant inclusion at a broader level through storytelling and the exchange of experiences.
  • To raise awareness of the need for local inclusion and diversity strategies and policies and encourage regional and national policymakers to consider the needs of residents of all backgrounds when planning and implementing local actions and policies, especially in education, housing, services and employment fields.

At the EU level, it’s planning to:

  • Create inclusive communities and tackle discriminatory policies between actors from municipalities, migrant associations and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Encourage EU policymakers to collaborate and coordinate with migrant associations and actors when planning and implementing local strategies and policies, especially in the fields of education, housing, services and employment.
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Approximately 25 participants from civil society and local authorities in the Republic of Moldova benefited from a study visit to Iasi, Romania, in the EU4Accountability project framework, where they exchanged experiences and best practices in the field of voluntary sector work, community development and social accountability.  

About 25 participants learned about the organisation of social enterprises in Romania, the legal framework and cooperation with local authorities, and their social and economic impact. In this context, programmes in the field of social services, inclusion and integration of vulnerable groups in the labour market, lobbying, advocacy and support for NGO development were presented.

The visit to the Refugee Centre, organised and supported by Bethany Social Services Foundation, allowed for an exchange of impressions and best practices between participants who have been on the front line of the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. Participants learned about the integration services, psychological support and translation provided by volunteers at the centre, as well as the tailoring of support to the needs of beneficiaries. 

Participants had the chance to learn from insightful contributions in the field of voluntary sector work, community development and social accountability. 

The visit to Iasi County Council  provided insights into public funding mechanisms for the non-governmental sector, legislative aspects, and cross-border project best practices. Representatives of the Iasi Municipality spoke about the importance of developing partnerships at local community level and presented examples of municipal programmes to support youth and cultural projects. The participatory budgeting process is managed by the Local Office for Participatory Democracy, which implements projects and works through the Iasi Neighbourhood Centres. 

A good example of social enterprise development is the food hub Roade și Merinde, which provides a platform for farmers and small producers to test and market quality local products. The Foodhub’s mission is to bring local food and craft products to new consumers and to promote the culture of consuming traditional and ecologically grown products.

The study visit concluded with a visit to the Dream Art Center Iasi, a social enterprise offering creative spaces, painting workshops, music lessons, and instruments for children. Approximately 10% of the center’s students come from vulnerable families and receive free services and support from volunteer mentors.

The activity is carried out in the framework of the EU4Accountability project, which aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations in Moldova to better play their role as actors of governance and to increase the social accountability of local and central public administration in Moldova. 

EU4Accountability is funded by the European Union in the Republic of Moldova and implemented by ALDA – European Association for Local Democracy, European Partnership for Democracy and People in Need Moldova.

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SHaring Actions for Participation and Empowerment of migrant communities and LAs

AT A GLANCE

The SHAPE project – SHaring Actions for the Participation and Empowerment of migrant communities and Local Authorities – funded by the European fund AMIF aims to foster the participation of people with a migratory background in democratic processes and in the design and implementation of integration policies at local, national and European level.
The action targets 3 states, so-called border states Italy, Hungary and Croatia, where public opinion appears particularly negative towards migrants and 2 leading states regarding migrants’ participation in the democratic process, Germany and Portugal.

Objectives:

  • Strengthen integration policies and promote dialogue between local authorities and migrant communities;
    -Bring together citizens with a migratory background, local authorities and policy-makers to co-design pilot projects aimed at triggering a participatory process at the local level, while at the same time creating a structured and formalised method of consultation for local policies in different fields;
  • Raise citizens’ awareness in Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Germany and Portugal about the positive contribution of migrant communities to EU societies.

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Maestri dell’acqua

AT A GLANCE

The project is addressed to young students attending the last year of vocational schools, in four countries. Through a specific training course, students have the possibility to learn concepts and expertise on water-related issues and climate change adaptation, in order to become Water Experts.
The course trains school studies to the job market needs, using new and more practical methods. The final event represents a unique occasion for students to share knowledge and expertise on water studies.

Objectives:

  • Improve their employment opportunities and adapt their profile to the territory’s needs;
  • Innovate professional profiles adapting them with specific competences to enter the job market;
  • Raise awareness and educate youth and citizens on climate change adaptation, underlining the importance and the role of water.

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Empowered Civil Society for Increased Social Accountability in Moldova

AT A GLANCE

EU4Accountability empowers Moldovan civil society organisations to better perform their role as actors of governance to improve social accountability of the local and central government of Moldova. It does so by strengthening the capacity of more than 50 grassroot organisations from 10 districts to participate, monitor and advocate for greater public accountability and to take part in policy dialogue with the Local Public Authorities (LPAs) and the central government. Through a series of capacity development activities, joint monitoring, advocacy actions, and networking workshops, civil society and public authorities will be empowered to co-design local public policies in the wide social sphere through consultations throughout the budget cycle. A learning-by-doing approach will allow the capacitated CSOs to establish meaningful local partnerships and alliances with LPAs that will result in change-making coalitions to close the accountability gap and respond to the needs of communities. Taking stock of the evidence and lessons gathered throughout the project, a nationwide, participatory policy dialogue will bring together CSOs and Government officials to design a Participatory Policy Assessment and develop a consensual Roadmap for Reforms as to address the challenges to effective social accountability and participation of all in local Expected results: – Moldovan CSOs’ competencies to participate, monitor and advocate for greater public accountability with a focus on budget related social accountability mechanisms are strengthened. – Budget related social accountability mechanisms are employed in 10 districts. – Local CSOs are engaged in policy dialogue at local and national levels to improve social accountability

Objectives:

The main focus of the “EU4Accountability” is enabling civil society (including local action groups) to be an active pillar in democracy, community building and policy dialogue.
The objective of the project is to improve social accountability of the local and central government of Moldova by strengthening the capacity of local, grassroot Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to participate in, monitor, and advocate for greater public accountability and to participate in the policy dialogue with the Local Public Authorities (LPAs) and the central government.

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Recovering inclusion through Creativity After Pandemic

AT A GLANCE

In the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic had a deep impact on social and community life by isolating people from each other, provoking social isolation in particular for young people, whose personal growth builds on social relations.
The ReCAP project aims to support the active involvement and civic participation of youth, through non-formal learning activities and the use of specific artistic and cultural tools, with a special emphasis on young people with fewer opportunities (NEETs, people with a migrant background, minorities, youths from the LGBTIAQ+ community, girls). With the pandemic, they have been further marginalised from the socialisation places, so it is necessary to allow young people to express their feelings and challenges in the public space.

Objectives:

  • IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUTH WORK, by providing youth workers with specific tools belonging to the universe of art and culture, to improve the efficacy of their work and respond to specific social needs.
  • ENGAGE, CONNECT AND EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE, by guiding youths along a path of self-awareness using their creativity.

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The entire ALDA team and Governing Board express their deepest condolences and support to the country of Morocco and its population, who were affected by the terrible earthquake that struck the nation with deadly consequences.

While too many have lost their lives and are injured, many others who are still alive have lost their homes and find themselves with no shelter. The number of victims is increasing every minute.

We have been contacting our partners to receive news about their safety and health, and we express all our support to associations and local authorities who will be directly involved in managing the rescue and crisis response.

We call on all our members, our network and community to stand in solidarity with the Moroccan people in these critical times, as well as on foundations and donors to direct their actions in response to the needs. We are currently evaluating the ways ALDA can be of assistance, in particular through our active partnerships.

ALDA stands with the people of Morocco during these difficult times

Numerous initiatives are underway in the affected territories and our partners are already highly mobilised to support the emergency aid action on the ground. You will find listed below some initiatives launched by the members of the Reseau Euromed France, to which also ALDA belongs, which you can support:

1️⃣ Association des Marocains de France has launched a communication and fundraising initiative accessible here.

2️⃣ Association Migrations & Développement has launched a communication and fundraising initiative accessible here, together with Solidarité Laïque, accessible here.

3️⃣  In addition, you can re-share this information to give visibility and bring more people to provide support!

A few days after the event and while new victims are still being recorded every day, let’s not let this tragedy already fall into oblivion. The more you communicate about it, the more it contributes to keep raising awareness amongst people at the international level and thus mobilising resources and aid in the long term to help the affected populations.


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This article will be updated as we receive recommendations from our contacts in the field.

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On 6 September 2023, Civil Society Europe launched its Civil Society State of the Union report (CS SOTEU). The CS SOTEU comprises the visions and recommendations of 43 civil society organisations for a more democratic and just EU, both socially and environmentally.

The report comes after months of collaboration among a broad coalition of civil society organisations active at EU level, among which ALDA; and it is addressed to the EU and its Member States.

In early February 2023, CSE launched a new working group dedicated to following up on the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE). This Working Group (WG) is dedicated to supporting civil society and citizens’ participation in EU democracy. In doing so, the WG is continuing the collaborative and ambitious work accomplished within the Civil Society Convention for the Conference on the Future of Europe (CSOCoFoE) in 2021-2022.

The WG has been divided in thematic subgroups, chaired by one or two CSOs, and they developed the different chapters of the report, covering topics such as democracy, fundamental rights, civic space, EU’s external policies, migration and asylum, freedom of movement, social rights and justice, climate change and other environmental challenges, digital transformation, and human security.

Our coalition calls for EU decision makers to make civic space and civil dialogue central topics in the 2024 European elections, and demands that the future European Parliament and European Commission take real, meaningful steps during the next five years to better recognise, protect and engage civil society at all levels.

ALDA co-chaired with the European Civic Forum (ECF) the chapter I on EU democracy, rule of law, values, and EU in the world

Overview of the chapters of the report: 

  1. Strengthening democracy, fundamental rights & civic space in the EU and the world
  2. Enhancing freedom of movement and solidarity for a more inclusive European society
  3. A socially just EU
  4. Fighting against climate change’s impacts and addressing (global) environmental challenges
  5. A digital transformation that leaves no one behind in the EU
  6. Shielding the future of European society through human-centred security policies

ALDA co-chaired with the European Civic Forum (ECF) the chapter I on EU democracy, rule of law, values, and EU in the world. 

ALDA and the coalition of CSOs have a vision for the European Union as a vibrant democracy, where citizens actively participate in decision-making processes and have trust in their institutions. We envision an EU that upholds the rule of law, protects fundamental rights, and promotes equality and social cohesion.

Since the CoFoE, there have been significant developments that have shaped the landscape of EU democracy and values. The Civil Society Convention (CSOCoFoE)’s report, citizens’ panels, and a preliminary evaluation of the Commission’s post-CoFoE proposals have provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities we face. However, it is equally important to address non-developments, areas where progress has been stagnant or insufficient, to identify areas that require urgent attention and action; and this is what this Report attempts to do. 

During the public launch event for the Report, not only involved CSOs were present, but the agenda also welcomed a panel discussion with remarks by Professor Maria do Céu Patrão Neves, Vice-Chair of the European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies, Mr. Giacomo Filibeck, Executive Secretary General of the Party of European Socialists, and Ms. Ingrid Bellander Todino, Head of Unit, Fundamental Rights, DG JUST; all of them provided different perspectives to the same issues at stake, shedding light on new inputs for discussion with the audience. 

Read the full Report in digital format here. 

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AT A GLANCE

The project aims to increase the active participation of young people, with a focus on those belonging to disadvantaged groups, in the co-production of local policies for the achievement of SDGs.

Objectives:

  1. Improve the capacities of young people to participate actively in the co-production of local policies, including the design of the participation process.
  2. Promote knowledge, skills and awareness of young people about the 2030 Agenda and SDGs with a stronger link to local
    policies: SDGs 5 “Gender equality”, 8 “Decent work and economic growth”, 10 “Reduced inequalities” and 11 “Inclusive and
    sustainable cities”.
  3. Provide tools to youth workers and local agents to support the inclusion of youth in local strategic planning processes.
  4. Raise local agents’ awareness on the importance of SDG policy co-production with the involvement of young people.
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AT A GLANCE

EU 24 – Engage for the planet will implement gender-balanced blended exchange events between domestic and mobile union citizens in the fields of climate justice, climate change and sustainability – in 5 European countries (Sweden, Poland, Germany, Netherlands and France) over a period of 20 month. The project aims to decrease the democratic participation gap of young citizens, citizens of diverse backgrounds, mobile union citizens in a gender balanced way by showing them their voices matter.
While the turnout in the last EU election was the largest in 25 years, citizens of diverse backgrounds and mobile union
citizens remain underrepresented among active EU voters as well as democratic engagement. As a central topic climate change is the biggest threat to humanity today and it needs transnational and multinational solutions. We therefore contribute in this field to the creation of a strong European political community which is (inter-)active, diverse and able to form and express opinions in political debate.

Objectives:

a. are framed by an innovative E-Democracy platform
b. bridge the language barrier between participants between & within countries
c. bring together citizens from diverse backgrounds in debate
d. utilise wide reach & playful content for facilitating political debate & engagement for the EU 24 Election
e. enable participants to link local issues of climate change, climate justice & sustainability to EU policies & policy
recommendations
f. stimulate gender-balanced & diversity-oriented participation of young (16-25) & younger citizens (26-39), citizens
with migrant background, mobile union citizens.

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Beyond discriminations, promoting inclusion of Roma, Sinti and Travellers communities in Europe through sport

AT A GLANCE

The project aims at promoting equality, inclusion and participation of Roma, Sinti and Travelers youth in sport and through sport, ensuring gender equality. Enhancing positive storytelling against anti-gypsyism and strategies of inclusion at local, national and EU levels, through:
– promoting equal access to sports and preventing discriminaon;
– increase grassroots sports organisation capacity to promote inclusion;
– promote positive storytelling;
– promote awareness of sport as a tool for inclusion.

Objectives:

The goal is to monitor the participation of young people as part of the RST community in sports life and to remove existing barriers to their participation, creating trust and support among the communities. Implement EU policies having a meaningful impact on EU strategies, improving its policy framework in RST sports inclusion, health and education.

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AT A GLANCE

TALE aims to reach and engage a greater number of voters, reduce the gap of voters turnout among the various EU member states, and, through participatory processes, activate and empower them to play an active role and thus vote in the next European parliamentary elections in 2024.
The project goals are : I. to train a selected number of (mostly) young people, chosen through a specific selection process, that will come from youth associations or from the formal education sector (schools and universities). The training will be related to EU values, institutions, EU Parliament elections and the importance of clear and transparent news; II. to create a communication campaign that will be supported by the change-makers and will allow citizens to get reliable information, debate about the next EU Parliament elections and get closer to the every-day life of the European institutions.

Objectives:

The principal objective of the TALE project is to encourage and facilitate the active engagement of European young citizens with the construction of a vibrant European democracy. ALDA, together with the project partners, will include a series of bottom-up, participatory workshops, events and training, aimed at raising awareness of the importance of the upcoming elections and increasing voter turnout.

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AT A GLANCE

This project is dedicated to the improvement of media and journalism standards in the Republic of North Macedonia. It is notable that while the Republic of North Macedonia’s legislation allows for free expression and speech as well as public access to information and other protections, particularly for groups such as journalists and the media, press freedom still remains an issue due to external pressures. Journalists, publishers, etc. are constantly faced with challenges such as frivolous lawsuits and other intimidation tactics that commonly force them into states of self-censorship. Self-censorship for private interests can lead to declining of journalistic standards, and thus negatively affects policy, civil society, and the lives of citizens.
The Europeanisation process requires an open, honest, and inclusive media that reports the facts transparently so that the citizens can make more informed decisions. The media landscape of North Macedonia is also notably rife with rapidly spreading disinformation, fear, and uncertainty. This project aims to fill the democratic and media quality gaps that have recently been left by rising Euroscepticism in society. Digital and media literacy as well as training in journalism skills and techniques will go a long way in helping to ensure improved quality of public debate in society and a more democratically inclined population.
In North Macedonia, the journalism profession is gradually declining in quality and popularity. For this project, a series of events and activities are planned to help with North Macedonia’s struggling journalism sector and to help ease the slowing of the Europeanisation process. This includes training sessions and workshops, a facilitation of exchanges between more and less experienced journalists, and a series of researches including public opinion surveys and analyses.

Objectives:

The objectives of this project include helping to improve the quality of journalism in North Macedonia in a volatile time in which Euroscepticism is rising and journalistic standards are declining, which in turn can help to strengthen civil society and bring about a more aware and responsible constituency.
The ways in which more quality journalistic standards can be achieved with the project include directly working with journalists, helping to enhance the skills of young journalists, facilitating exchanges of expertise between more and less experienced journalists, including those from EU countries, and considering modern European media quality standards. A problem to consider is the fact that youth are less represented in the journalism profession today due to a lack of trust, and as such, this project seeks to engage in activities that can help to encourage greater participation, such as training courses, workshops on tools such as Eurostat, teaching about analytical and scientific skills, and other practical activities.
Another major goal is to improve the general information environment in the country. Not only will that lead to better information being disseminated by the media, but also contribute to healthier public debate and thus a better policy-making environment. It is important to consider that fighting Euroscepticism and helping to increase the standards of journalism have a double effect in that national institutions are closer to the public and the European integration process is improved.
In the process of this project, the target groups that will benefit from it are journalists of all experiences, civil society organizations, representatives of public institutions, and of course, the citizens of North Macedonia.

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AT A GLANCE

The project aims at increasing the level of engagement of young Europeans with sustainability and development issues, at creating better ways of living and at providing a meaningful voice to the European youth in setting the EU policy agenda on sustainable development through advocacy on the 2030 Agenda at local and European level.

Objectives:

  • Building the capacities of 9 organisations on advocacy, campaigning and the SDGs
  • Training and empowering 45 young people to advocate for action on the SDGs at local and European level
  • Engaging 30000 young people across Europe around Agenda2030 and building sustainable ways of living through online and street campaigns

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AT A GLANCE

The purpose of this activity is to contribute to capacity-building efforts in CEI member states in local governance, as well as to encourage active citizenship in the pursuit of EU enlargement. This activity features representatives from EU and non-EU CEI member states, including third countries, convening and exchanging practices to support local governance, as well as helping to establish dialogue for good governance and European integration. Improving local democracy has benefits for local governance, which ALDA plans to achieve by emphasizing the importance of inclusive communities, decentralization, civic initiatives and volunteering, sustainable development, human rights, and gender equality in participation. It recognizes that strengthening participatory mechanisms on the local level feed into greater benefits on higher levels, as well as allowing for better local quality of life for the constituents. The project is a continuation of previous joint efforts between ALDA Skopje and the network of LDAs across the Western Balkans and the European neighbourhood to engage in international cooperation and exchanges regarding local governance.

Objectives:

An important aspect of this project is making sure that the actions contribute to the facilitation of the EU integration process of the candidate countries in the Western Balkans as well as Ukraine and Moldova. Another goal is to strengthen the thematic network of CSOs and local authorities that have the goal of strengthening the EU integration process, allowing them to be key players in it. All of these actions together will also contribute to the strengthening of capacities of partners in the field of good governance and multi-stakeholder cooperation, including with CSOs, local authorities, and others.

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AT A GLANCE

In line with the objectives of the Green Deal, BUILDSPACE combines terrestrial data from buildings (collected by IoT platforms and BIM solutions) with aerial imagery from drones equipped with thermal cameras and location annotated data from satellite services (e.g. EGNSS and Copernicus). It will provide innovative services to stakeholders and support them in making informed decisions towards energy-efficient buildings and climate-resilient cities.
The platform will provide decision support services for energy demand forecasting, urban heat, and urban flooding analysis to reduce the likelihood of natural disasters. ALDA will engage key stakeholders in the use of this platform based on their needs by raising awareness of the benefits of the project services. Based on four European cities with different climate profiles, the project will provide a set of replication guidelines and blueprints for the adoption of the proposed applications in building resilient cities at large.

Objectives:

Engaging Buildings Value Chain (BVC) stakeholders in a co-creation process for the design of innovative applications to support sustainable, resilient buildings in urban environments.

Building a baseline infrastructure and an interoperable framework providing access to heterogeneous data sources to enable the development of location-based and remote sensing applications.

Develop novel services (using Digital Twins) to support building construction, renovation, and monitoring and link them with city-scale services enabling urban environment analysis, forecast, and climate resilience.

Testing and evaluating the services with the relevant stakeholders in 4 pilots across the EU and paving the way for their exploitation and sustainability plans

Delivering an open and transparent promotion of BUILDSPACE results through a comprehensive dissemination, communication, and exploitation strategy

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