The European Commission announced the launching of a Smart Cities and Communities European Innovation Partnership (SCC) with the aim at boosting the development of smart technologies in cities. According to the Commission, smart urban technologies can make a major contribution to tackling many urban challenges.

The Smart Cities and Communities European Innovation Partnership (SCC) launched by the European Commission through a communication is intended to tackle one of the greatest challenges facing the EU: how best to design and adapt cities into smart intelligent and sustainable environments. With this partnership, European Commission aims to boost the development of smart technologies in cities by pooling research resources from energy, transport and ICT and concentrating them on a small number of demonstration projects which will be implemented in partnership with cities. Three new Innovation Partnerships were already launched by the European Commission in March 2012.

In addition, the Commission intends with this Smart Cities Partnership to help to establish strategic partnerships between energy, transport and ICT industries and European cities to develop and roll out the urban systems and infrastructures of tomorrow. For 2013 alone, €365 million in EU funds have been earmarked for the demonstration of these types of urban technology solutions. In addition, each and every demonstration project financed under the scheme must combine all the three sectors. Pooling the sources together also means using synergies, says the Commission.

Almost three quarters of Europeans live in cities, consuming 70% of the EU's energy. Congestion costs Europe about 1% of its GDP every year; most of it is located in urban areas. Smart urban technologies can make a major contribution to tackling many urban challenges.