Cornelia Dinca

Open Data Week is a week-long festival of community-driven events organized and produced by the NYC Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics and BetaNYC. Every year, New Yorkers come together all across the boroughs to celebrate New York City’s Open Data Law, which was signed into law on March 7, 2012. Coincidentally, the first weekend of March is also International Open Data Day. Together, these events anchor NYC’s Open Data Week and increase civic engagement with municipal open data.

This year, from March 6 - 14, over 75 event organizers are hosting virtual sessions to engage with you about open data, technology and design. Check out the program and RSVP to participate in events all throughout the week: https://2021.open-data.nyc/#calendar

The 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) is a European Commission initiative that supports 136 cities in using cutting-edge technologies to lead the intelligent, green and socially responsible recovery. The ICC cities and their local ecosystems will be engines for the recovery of their local economy, create new jobs, and strengthen citizen participation and wellbeing.

The ICC is part of a wider EU support system that recognises the importance of delivering on the promises made by the European Green Deal, the digital strategy, and other EU policies. It looks to move towards a more  digital, service-oriented and low-carbon economy, supported by a knowledge-based society, that enables circular economy systems through ‘local value loops’, evidence-based reskilling, and sustainable investments.

Participating cities receive one-to-one strategic advice from international experts on fine thematic strands: green economy and local green deals, improving the citizen participation and the digitalisation of public administration, green and digital transition in tourism, resilience of local supply chains, up- and reskilling of the workforce.  ICC Cities are also supported by transversal services on access to data, access to finance and through a marketplace full of innovative solutions.

The Amsterdam Region, represented by Amsterdam Economic Board and Amsterdam Smart City (ASC) is one of the ICC mentor regions, alongside European mentor cities Aarhus, Antwerp, Barcelona, Espoo, Hamburg, Nice, Porto, Rijeka and international mentors Medellin, Singapore and Toronto.  By participating in the ICC, the Amsterdam Region will share its experience and learn from other best practices related to multi-stakeholder collaboration, innovation ecosystems, circular economy and citizen participation.

ICC Updates:
• Launch of 100 Intelligent Cities Challenge
• ICC Challenge Mayors’ Summit
• Launch of ICC Renovation Action Group
• Public Kick-off 2nd ICC City Lab

Do you have an innovative digital or data-driven solution that can help create a circular city? A city where businesses and people work together to make the most of our resources? An inclusive city, in which designing for circularity means providing new jobs and opportunities for all communities and citizens?

The Circular Innovation City Challenge is seeking early prototype to market-ready innovative solutions, with the potential to help create circular and thriving cities. Your solution can be cross-sector or focus on specific areas such as plastics, food, construction, textile, or others. It can focus on direct material reductions or on business and consumer behaviour. The most important thing is that your solution is digital or data-driven at its core, and responds to one or more of the innovation areas.

The challenge is a global call to action for innovators and entrepreneurs, businesses, and organisations. Challenge partners encourage all types of innovators globally to apply and help find the answers to create better and more circular cities.

The Circular Innovation City Challenge is made possible through the collaboration between the cities of Copenhagen, Glasgow, Amsterdam, New York, and Toronto, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and World Circular Economy Forum. The challenge is facilitated by the Danish Business Authority, the Danish Design Centre and Leaderlab.

Find out more about the challenge and submit your innovation no later than April 23rd 2021 via https://www.circularinnovation.city/

There are currently three opportunities for Dutch and international startups and innovators who would like to collaborate with governments on urban challenges:

Project Scale-up: Traffic & Visitor Flows 
How can we reduce crowdedness at busy locations in the Amsterdam Region? Innovatie Partners is looking for solutions to predict traffic and visitor flows, and influence behaviour.  The aim is develop a new system solution through collaboration between governmental organisations, knowledge partners and innovative entrepreneurs. Apply by Feb 22. (In Dutch)

AI4Cities: Energy & Mobility
Are you an Artificial Intelligence (AI) supplier? Six European cities and regions are looking for AI solutions on mobility and energy to accelerate carbon neutrality. The project follows a pre-commercial procurement (PCP) approach in order to identify solutions that can contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions in partner cities and regions. Apply by Feb 28.

Intergovernmental Start-up in Residence
In the third round of the intergovernmental Start-up in Residence program, six government organisations are looking for innovative and scalable solutions to 15 challenges. Do you have a lighting innovation that encourages people to exercise more? Or a solution that can improve the safety and liveability of “problem” streets? There is also a wild card category for innovative concepts or products that don’t fit within the defined challenges. Apply by Mar 2. (in Dutch)

The ICC builds on the success of the Digital Cities Challenge (DCC), which helped 41 EU cities develop a strategic vision and a roadmap for digital transformation. Similar to its predecessor, the ICC cities will receive guidance and expert support though a city peer network that will share best practices regarding the uptake of advanced technologies.

The Amsterdam Region, represented by Amsterdam Economic Board and Amsterdam Smart City (ASC) is proud to join the ICC as mentor alongside European mentors Aarhus, Antwerp, Barcelona, Espoo, Hamburg, Nice, Porto, Rijeka and international mentors Medellin, Singapore and Toronto. The Amsterdam region will share its experience and learn from other best practices related to multi-stakeholder collaboration, innovation ecosystems, circular economy and citizen participation.

The second ICC Lab will take place February 16-19. The first day of the program is open to the public and registration is possible via: <https://www.intelligentcitieschallenge.eu/events/1st-icc-city-lab>

Agenda:
13:00 – 13:10 Opening speech

• John Higgins, Moderator
• Ulla Engelmann, European Commission, Head of Unit for social economy
• Nikos Maroulis, Programme Coordinator

13:10 – 14:30 Panel discussion on ‘City strategies for the recovery’

• John Higgins, Moderator
• Alice Charles, Project Lead, Cities, Infrastructure & Urban Services Platform, World Economic Forum
• Dana Eleftheriadou, European Commission, Head of Advanced Technologies Team
• Filipe Araújo, Vice Mayor, city of Porto
• Goele Haest, Director of Business and City Marketing, city of Antwerp
• Harri Paananen, Head of Economic Development, City of Espoo
• Sébastien Viano, Director of the European Affairs and External Funding, Metropole Nice Côte d'Azur

14:30 – 15:30 ICC City needs and strategies: reflections and showcases from the community

• John Higgins, Moderator
• Paresa Markianidou & Morten Rasmussen, Programme Coordinators
• Cristina Mora, Councillor of sustainable development and European programmes, city of Cartagena

15:30 End of public program

The 2021 Global Mayors Challenge is the farthest reaching, most ambitious to date. After uncovering the 50 most innovative urban solutions in the wake of COVID-19, the Challenge will award 15 grand prize winners $1 million each—to help cities implement their breakthrough ideas and, ultimately, to spread those ideas to other cities on a global scale.

The 2021 Global Mayors Challenge is open to all cities with populations greater than 100,000 residents. All eligible cities must RSVP to the competition and submit a completed application no later than 21 March 2021.