IRIS is a HORIZON 2020 EU funded project beginning October 2017 for a duration of five years.
The project has been developed around three lighthouse cities - Utrecht (The Netherlands, coordinator), Nice (France), and Gothenburg (Sweden) - who will work as collaborators and test-beds for follower cities Vaasa (Finland), Alexandroupolis (Greece), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain) and Focsani (Romania).
Each city will draw upon a mix of universities and research organisations, local authorities, innovation agencies and private expertise to accelerate entire communities to adopt ambitious energy, mobility and ICT initiatives.
In IRIS Smart Cities flagship, Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur is proving essential to developing a string of near zero energy districts using the latest in smart grids, energy management and storage, data sensors and renewables – amongst other tech – generating a great deal of international interest from actors wishing to learn and replicate such initiatives around Europe and beyond.
EU Green Week 2018 held its official opening on 21 May in IRIS lighthouse city Utrecht with Mayor Jan van Zanen stating “We are ready to inspire and be inspired by cities around Europe and the World”.
May has been extra IRIS here in Gothenburg; with partners on stage and spreading the word of sustainable change and co-creation in many various situations and contexts. Katarina Nordstöm reports.