CommuniCity’s 100 real-life pilots are evaluated by top experts who gather feedback from diverse stakeholders to understand how new services and technologies function in practice and to assess their real-world impact. These pilots in urban environments offer cities valuable hands-on experience for better planning, while helping businesses refine solutions based on actual performance and user needs.
The pilots foster real-life interactions, with a particular focus on the use of digital initiatives and digital transformation to support marginalised groups within communities. Agile in nature, these pilots take place in living lab settings, where real-life spaces serve as laboratories to test ideas and generate insights.
Launched in August 2024, CommuniLab is a dynamic online platform that promotes mutual learning through capacity-building, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among cities, technology providers, local communities, and other stakeholders. The platform is continuously updated with materials and insights generated through the pilots and partners’ activities.
CommuniLab engages a wide range of stakeholders through the quadruple helix approach, which includes government bodies, industry, academia, and civil society. Each of these groups plays a crucial role in driving innovation and addressing societal challenges. Government institutions provide the necessary regulatory frameworks and infrastructure; businesses contribute expertise and market-oriented solutions; academic institutions generate new knowledge and train future innovators; and civil society organisations and citizens ensure innovation efforts are inclusive and community-centred.
CommuniLab is structured into three main sections:
- Capacity-Building Space
- Knowledge Repository
- Collaboration & Engagement Space
Each section hosts a range of resources and tools designed to facilitate knowledge exchange, collaboration, and dissemination of the project’s outcomes.
The Capacity-Building Space
This section offers educational and developmental resources to enhance skills and understanding. It includes:
- FAQs – Answers to the most frequently asked questions from stakeholders, covering ethical co-creation, citizen engagement, piloting, and technology-related interactions.
- Webinars – Recordings of online events delivered through the project.
- Multimedia – Videos and testimonials from pilot teams and participants.
- Tips & Tricks – Practical advice for launching initiatives and managing outcomes.
The Knowledge Repository
This section gathers both project-generated and external resources that support CommuniCity’s pilots and other similar initiatives. It includes:
- The CommuniCity Journey – A step-by-step overview of the process from identifying challenges to implementing pilot solutions.
- Catalogue of Tools – A comprehensive list of all pilots carried out within the project, including details.
- Manuals for Open Calls and Piloting – Practical guidance and tools for teams to replicate effective approaches.
- Methodologies, Tools & Toolkits – Includes the co-creation toolbox and the technological framework developed in the project.
- Resources – A repository of all publicly available deliverables, conference contributions, scientific papers, and other relevant documents.
The Collaboration & Engagement Space
This section is open to all stakeholders involved in co-creating technological solutions with regional impact, including city administrations, technology providers, and pilot managers. It focuses on promoting community-driven innovation and includes:
- News & Events Agenda – A calendar of upcoming CommuniLab events and news shared by pilot teams.
- Engagement Space – A closed LinkedIn group offering a safe space for stakeholders to exchange challenges, achievements, learnings, and updates.
- PartnerMatch – A tool designed to connect stakeholders beyond the project for future collaborations and scaling up of successful pilots.
- Suggestion Box – A form to gather ideas and feedback for the ongoing development of CommuniLab.
By bringing together diverse perspectives, CommuniLab creates a collaborative ecosystem that supports sustainable development, empowers communities, and informs policy at both local and European levels.
