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A meeting for Finnish cities participating in Smart Cities and Communities projects in Turku promoted the exchange of implementation, discussed the replication of Smart City solutions, and explored the concept of Nordic PEDs.

The Finnish Lighthouse City – network gathers lighthouse and fellow cities of Smart City projects in Turku on 9-10 of January. During the meeting, the collaborative network allows cities to exchange experiences and share knowledge, thus improving and enhancing the success of each initiative involved. Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe funding programs, the group meets a few times a year to discuss ongoing work and relevant topics.

The themes of the January meeting in Turku were replication, monitoring, and communication of project results. In addition, participants discussed the concept of a “Nordic PED”, as many of the participating projects are implementing a PED in their city. Establishing a PED in the Nordics can be challenging as sunlight decreases drastically during winter. The importance of innovative solutions connected to district heating and cooling, energy storage, and smart energy management systems are highlighted in these conditions.

Although there are differences between the Smart City projects, the Finnish Lighthouse City – network allows cities operating within the same legislative framework, faced with similar challenges and opportunities, to connect and foster mutual support. Ultimately, this advances development and strengthens the overall success of all the projects involved.

Visiting cities were provided a tour of the PED at Turku Student Village to learn more about the technological solutions implemented and tested in the RESPONSE project. The 5th block, which underwent energy efficient retrofitting is pictured in the background.