More than 100 European scientists and other participants gathered in Lisbon at the end of June 2023 for the conference "Energy
in Built Environment - Climate driven solutions for next generation EU cities". CTU UCEEB also sent a representative to the
Portuguese capital to share with other partners rich experience in establishing positive energy districts and developing community
energetics.
The conference was jointly organised by the Portuguese National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG), COST Action Positive Energy Districts (PED-EU-NET)
and the European Energy Research Alliance Joint Programme Smart Cities (EERA JPSC). Michal Kuzmič, Coordinator for Cooperation with Industry
and Cities, attended the event on behalf of CTU UCEEB, who also coordinates our participation in the international SPARCS project and is
the leader of the working group within PED-EU-NET in charge of mapping, characterising and learning positive energy districts
(PEDs). Also key to our activities in this area is our close partnership with the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe,
which brings together public authorities, citizens, scientists, innovators, business and industry to contribute to urban transformation.
"For me, the key success of these Lisbon meetings was that we managed to bring together a broad group of researchers, entrepreneurs
and city representatives who spontaneously engaged in many joint activities to add new case studies to the PED database and
also systematically shared their own stories for other practitioners to learn from. PEDs need such fresh insights," commented
Michal Kuzmič on the events at the conference.
The meeting was held in cooperation with the EERA JPSC, which launched its new activities in the field of buildings, districts
and cities with the Smart Cities Joint Programme. CTU, together with SINTEF, chairs a working group called "Smart and Liveable Districts
and Communities", which aims to be an active forum for exchange and to produce high-quality applied research that addresses
local contexts and practical realities, helping to bridge the gap between research and practice.
