Smarter Together is a Horizon 2020 project funded by the European Commission. Its overarching vision is to find the right balance between smart technologies and organizational/governance dimensions in cities in order to deliver smart and inclusive solutions and to improve citizens’ quality of life. The consortium includes the European lighthouse cities Lyon, Munich, and Vienna, as well as the follower cities Santiago de Compostela, Sofia, and Venice, and the observer cities Kyiv and Yokohama. Additionally, top European research institutes such as Fraunhofer IAO and the Technical University of Munich and industry partners including Toshiba, Siemens, and DIN are also involved in the consortium.
The Energy Innovation Lab will aim to deliver conceptual frameworks and models as well as recommendations for how firms and regions can adjust to the new conditions in smart cities and advice on how energy policy can encourage innovation and technological change in firms and on the regional level. It will analyze firm strategies, organizational capabilities, stakeholder networks, and cooperation among firms and smart regional energy systems.