The project aims to build a Real City of Science in which: 1) science becomes the foundation for the method of managing and creating changes; 2) research work is seriously taken into consideration in the processes designed to implement changes; 3) science is an element and the driving force of transformation intended to improve the quality of life; 4) universities are a public good. This four missions will be implemented in Katowice by the end of 2024 together by the City of Katowice and the the Academic Consortium Katowice – City of Science, consisting of: Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Katowice, Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, University of Economics in Katowice, Silesian University of Technology, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, and University of Silesia in Katowice (leader of the consortium). The direct goal is to use science and higher education as a tool for transformation of the the City and region in order to improve the quality of life for the inhabitants and to ensure dynamic development thorought the region of Silesia. We do not see the European City of Science 2024 title as an end in itself, but as a key step towards building Katowice as a Real City of Science – an agile, networked science centre operating across the whole of the city. Celebrations of the European City of Science 2024 provide an excellent opportunity to “disseminate” the City of Science concept, using this event as a base to create a real legacy project for the city itself and for all of Silesia. We are opening up our universities to create a world-class programme of societal engagement with science, technology and innovation. We are transforming Katowice into a city-wide science centre, generating unique possibilities and reinforcing competencies for the future of Silesia, Poland and Europe.

Air pollution and ambient pollution, carbon-related issues ranging from GHG emissions to carbon shortages in soil, the opportunities provided by NBS and the intricacies of urban ecosystems present an extremely complex set of interdependent problems and opportunities that have to be addressed as such – interactively, mutually and innovatively. Upsurge is considering all these aspects and is providing evidence-based targeted responses that will enable EU cities to transition into a more regenerative future. At its core, Upsurge is presenting the European Regenerative Urban Lighthouse, which will enable cities to unlock their regenerative potential and provide them with knowledge and guidance in regenerative transition. Supported by an innovative continuous self-check progress mechanism (Regenerative Index) and by the Clearing House as a knowledge nerve centre, Upsurge will motivate cities and other clients through its networking activities to engage and step aboard the regenerative transition under Lighthouse’s leadership. Upsurge is demonstrating technical excellence through a multimodal adaptable sensing system, through integrated and integrative digitalisation environment supported by IoT and AI, several real-life demonstrations and based on extrapolated criteria conducted simulative demonstrations showcasing the viability, feasibility and implementability of proposed technical solutions. The knowledge core of Upsurge will be introduced within the quintuple helix verification model bringing together all relevant factors affecting the implementation of NBS and thus regenerative change. Quintuple helix approach will truly enable the assessment and exploration of complementary beneficial effects provided by project solutions.

CLIMABOROUGH is an Innovation project designed to field test the ClimHub, Climate Sandbox and Climate Service concepts within 12 European Cities engaged in their ecological and digital transition. The project aims to enhance traditional urban and spatial planning approaches through data and knowledge based decision making (including a possible new role for GIS - Geographic Information Systems), including climate services co-production for transitions, cross-city and cross-country pilot co-creation as well as the tactical use of public procurement of innovative solutions. The goal is not just to enhance an open set of tools leveraging climate transition in cities, but also to boost the exchange of experimental good practices, experiences and lessons learnt in this field, to help cities meet climate neutrality by 2050. This will be achieved by the following expected results: (A) building ClimHubs of Cities and solution providers to work on experimentations in real conditions, (B) harnessing the collective intelligence of local stakeholders for collaborative solution development, (C) defining Climate Services as a model strategy to use data and visualisation tools for climate transition, (D) field testing the Climate Sandbox concept as a way to prioritise and facilitate transformation of successfully deployed prototypes into established solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation in cities, and (E) monitoring and assessing the progress in achieving those goals and in implementing a climate neutrality planning scheme. Based on the lessons learnt and successful concept of the H2020 Designscapes CSA, CLIMABOROUGH has the ambition to bridge the gap between design and implementation of urban innovations, particularly in the domain of climate change adaptation and mitigation.

PROSPERITY will: 1. Produce a culture shift in terms of environment for SUMPs in member states and in the organisational culture of transport planning in city authorities. 2. Get ministries and national agencies to play a national leading role on SUMPs, as in many member states these are the organisations from which cities take their main direction; where ministries are already playing this role, to support and strengthen their approach. 3. To provide mechanisms and tools for Ministries to take this lead role. 4. Analyse clearly the problems of (lack of) take-up of SUMPs – to understand from cities themselves why they are not taken up and then to help cities to address these barriers. 5. Extend the existing 25-county EU-SUMP-network with at least two more countries 6. Get more cities to take up effective high quality SUMPs – through cities’ involvement in the project and indirectly through more cities hearing about SUMPs in their country. 7. Ensure that these SUMPs contain and will lead to implementation of a broad range of innovative sustainable transport measures. 8. Build cities’ capacity to develop and implement SUMPs that genuinely reflect the spirit of the EU SUMP Guidelines, rather than being mandatory documents to fulfil a requirement linked to major transport infrastructure. 9. Deliver a measurable impact. The core concept of PROSPERITY is bringing ministries into the project, which will significantly enhance the visibility of the project at the national level and therefore increase numbers of cities active on SUMPs. Thus PROSPERITY will ensure that more cities commit to SUMPs that are in line with the EU SUMP Guidelines and that include a broad range of innovative measures. This will generate a high leverage factor, especially in regions and cities where take up is so far low and the impacts from transport are severe – therefore the majority of PROSPERITY activities is in such regions and cities - thus in southern, central-eastern and eastern Europe.