EDIH Trakia signed in support of the international declaration “Living-in.EU” and joined the pan-European platform of the same name. The “Living-in.EU” initiative is a project of EUROCITIES, the network of major European cities whose members are elected local and municipal authorities from all over Europe. Their aim is to promote the important role that local authorities should play within a multi-level governance structure.
Through its public benefit programmes and projects, EUROCITIES seeks to shape the opinion of Brussels stakeholders and ultimately shift the focus of EU legislation in a way that allows city authorities to tackle strategic challenges at local level. More on this topic was available to the clients and partners of EDIH Trakia in December 2024 during the thematic “EDIH Days in Local Government”, thanks to the EUROCITIES experts who took part online in the three-day hybrid marathon of information and advice events.
On the role of innovation hubs in the digital transformation of local government in Europe
The kind of expert and coordination infrastructure for interaction between local authorities and civil society enjoys the support of at least two other European digital innovation hubs with which EDIH Trakia has established partnership relations on various initiatives and projects to support the development of the digital economy – DIH DATAlife from Spain and Digital Innovation Zone EDIH from Romania.
The participation of EDIH Trakia will focus on two of Living-in.EU’s priority areas of intervention – education and capacity building on the one hand and purely technical (technological) issues on the other.
In terms of education and capacity building, Living-in.EU focuses on the following themes, which can benefit from the capacity and expertise available behind the rich portfolio of grant consultancy and training services of EDIH Trakia under the Cyber4AllSTAR project:
- Creating the administrative capacity to make the best use of digitisation and avoid dependence on a particular technology or provider;
- The development of citizen-centred design approaches as new competencies (in challenging areas such as cyber security) for smart policy making;
- Identifying new skills needed by public authorities and businesses and taking action to ensure that people acquire these skills;
- Making digital education and skills available to the public as a kind of investment in the sustainable development of relevant local and municipal authorities.
EDIH Trakia will actively participate in the work of the Technical Working Group of Living-in.EU. The main objective of this group is to identify and support the deployment of common digital solutions at EU scale, supporting the main technical commitments of the initiative’s declaration. These include:
- The use of generally accepted standards and technical specifications;
- Ensuring access to key technologies (data, infrastructure, services) for all;
- Building a common market.
In the 2025 Annual Technical Plan, the group will focus on the development of the MIMs Plus (Minimum Interoperability Mechanisms) framework and its application in initiatives such as the European Data Spaces for Smart Communities, Local Digital Twin Toolbox, CommuniCity and CitCom.AI.
As part of this Task Force, EDIH Trakia will contribute to the definition of clear principles and specifications that will accelerate the digital transformation of European cities and communities.
With the signing of the Living-in.EU Declaration, EDIH Trakia commits to support and implement the principles of open and interoperable digitalization promoting citizen participation, sustainable development and innovation in urban ecosystems.
What is the Bulgarian presence in the initiative?
Since this year, the Deputy Mayor of Sofia Municipality for Digitalization, Innovation and Economic Development, Mr. Ivan Goychev, has been elected Co-Chair of the Digital Assembly of the Living-in.EU movement. He holds this position together with the Mayor of Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain – Mrs. Luisa Moret. The mandate of the two co-chairs will last for two years, during which they will work hard and in close cooperation with the entire network of European cities and communities that are part of the Living-in.EU movement to achieve the set priorities.
Mr. Goychev was a guest panelist during the “European Digital Innovation Days in Industrial Technology”, held at the end of March 2025 on the initiative of EDIH Trakia and with the support of the members of the innovation ecosystem of the hub from Siemens Bulgaria.
In this Living-in.eu role, the Deputy Mayor will focus on two key priorities, which he hopes to contribute to the EDIH Trakia:
- Development of data spaces:”Data spaces are critical for innovation and the digital transformation of cities. By bringing together data from different sources, we can accelerate the development of solutions in urban planning, health and transport “, Mr Goychev stresses in his comment on the topic on the website of Sofia Municipality. This requires the creation of access policies, the establishment of interoperability standards and the definition of clear principles for ownership and ethical data sharing.
- Engaging citizens in urban innovation: according to Mr. Goychev, cities should become spaces where citizens play an active role in creating innovative solutions. “Engaging citizens in the innovation process creates a sense of belonging and leads to more sustainable and meaningful results,” said the Deputy Mayor.
The Digital Assembly serves as a policy advisory body to the Living-in.EU movement, setting the strategic direction for the digital and green transformation of European cities and communities. It brings together mayors, regional leaders and key stakeholders working to foster collaboration and innovation.
