Leuven named the 2020 European capital of innovation
The EUR1 million cash reward, which every year recognises cities’ ingenious services to social obstacles that engage and empower its citizens, was granted to Leuven in an event with EU Commissioner Mariya Gabrielduring the EU Research Study and Innovation Days in Brussels, Belgium, on 24 September.
Speaking from another location at the digital awards ceremony, Mohamed Ridouani, the mayor of Leuven said he was pleased to receive the reward which he sees the city as a design that shows ‘the way forward for Europe.’
‘We attempt to have simply neighborhoods. We try to have a simply shift (towards climate neutrality),’ he said.
A panel of independent experts called 5 runners-up: Cluj-Napoca, Romania; Espoo, Finland; Helsingborg, Sweden; València, Spain; and Vienna, Austria. Each of these cities received a prize money of EUR100,000.
Winner: Leuven, Belgium
The city of Leuven in Belgium boasts one of the top-ranked universities on the planet. A well-known research study and innovation center, the city connects residents, city authorities, researchers and entrepreneurs to innovate and implement solutions to today’s challenges. These challenges consist of moving to a circular economy, environment modification and making sure a high requirement of education and health. Following the coronavirus crisis, Leuven aims to be fair, sustainable, and co-owned.
Networks such as Leuven 2030 and high-tech health network Leuven MindGate are implementing numerous projects at the financial, social and environmental levels for the benefit of the locals. In 2019, the Leuven 2030 network developed a roadmap with 13 programs to an environment neutral future.
Runner-up: Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Cluj-Napoca, has actually differentiated itself over the years to turn into one of the most crucial innovation hubs in Romania. With a dynamic start-up scene, the city previously last year hosted the Start-up Europe Top together with the European Commission.
Cluj-Napoca released an online platform, Com’On Cluj-Napoca, to motivate youths to recommend group efforts to improve community living in the city. These consist of the creation of reading locations in public spaces, and a learning platform on the topic of viewpoint for children. The efforts are then voted on by citizens and the 45 most popular receive funding from the city hall and regional council.
One task proposed through the platform by trainees from Onisifor Ghibu high school caused the setup of a tactile panorama of the historic centre. This enables blind or aesthetically impaired individuals to experience the city.
Runner-up: Espoo, Finland
Finland’s 2nd largest city hosts the biggest innovation and innovation ecosystem in northern Europe, where it pilots CO2-emissions-slashing services and innovations. These developments focus on making Espoo more sustainable and resilient versus the results of climate change and centre on tidy energy for transport and to heat houses. Espoo aims to reach the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2025 and end up being carbon neutral by 2030.
Its explores mobility-as-a-service, which incorporates various modes of transport for efficient, on-demand travel, has brought residents together for screening and feedback. Espoo is likewise piloting its very first all-weather self-driving bus with the collaboration of the regional council, and Finnish business Sensible4 and Nokia, in the hopes of releasing self-driving buses there in the future.
Runner-up: Vienna, Austria
Vienna, the capital of Austria, puts young people at the centre of its development method to improve the lives of its youngest locals. In 2019, the city released a participation project, Werkstadt junges Wien, with the involvement of more than 22,000 citizens from the ages of 4 to 19.
Individuals in 1,309 workshops accepted youth employees, educators and teachers were provided the flexibility to choose concerns, giving young kids a voice in regional policies and activities. The input was examined by a social science institute that identified nine key topics for young individuals, such as leisure– including more playgrounds– and better opportunities in locations such as housing.
From this work, the first Children and Youth Technique, with one objective per subject and 193 specific procedures, was embraced by Vienna City Council in June. With one-fifth of the city’s population under the age of 19, the method is created to benefit youths, their families and their communities.
Runner-up: València, Spain
València, Spain’s third biggest city, has set itself objectives with a particular objective: to improve the lives of the city’s locals. Through its Missions València 2030 technique, the city aims to be sustainable, entrepreneurial, healthy and to enhance cumulative welfare within the next years. These modifications could help remove energy poverty, combat loneliness and decrease 90% of plastic and micro-plastic present in the sea, rivers and nature reserves surrounding the city.
Influenced by the collaboration driving the mission to land on the moon in the 1960s and the EU’s upcoming 2021-2027 objectives, València intends to include stars from a variety of sectors. At the end of the year, 3 objectives will be selected by politicians and, in the very first half of 2021, a further three by people.
València’s mayor Joan Ribó has said that Missions València 2030 will also be essential for the post coronavirus crisis healing and will prioritise financial investments in health, environment, education and work.
Runner-up: Helsingborg, Sweden
Helsingborg, among the earliest cities in Sweden, sees buying innovation as the method to face its recent difficulties, such as a growing aging and youth population in contrast to the number of people of working age, who pay tax.
In 2019, the city released its H22 effort with a nearly EUR25 million investment for a duration of 2 years until 2022. This financial investment intends to assist change Helsingborg into a wise city that puts its homeowners and the planet first to improve quality of life.
The city is producing welfare services driven by people’s needs by collaborating with citizens, academia and associations. Helsingborg’s projects include an unique living plan to decrease loneliness among elderly individuals and promote cross-generational combination with common spaces in a shared apartment complex, and the production of carbon-storing biochar with garden waste, amongst lots of others.