European Commission urges cities to apply directly for funds

The European Commission brought cities and the private sector together in Eindhoven this week to spark a series of new smart city projects but finance was the key topic of debate.

"We will bring new financial mechanisms to give cities direct access to investment," said Violeta Bulc, European Commissioner for Transport at the opening of the 2016 General Assembly of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) in Eindhoven. The EIP-SCC is jointly organised by DG CONNECT, DG ENERGY and DG MOVE (the EC’s departments for technology, energy and mobility). It aims to bring private sector companies and cities to work on smart city projects.

Cities Today spoke to Ax...