‘Smart Cities’ Program to Open for 315 Greek Municipalities in July

Photo source: Digital Governance Ministry

The “Smart Cities” program in Greece, launched by the Greek Ministry of Digital Governance in 2021, will enter its second phase and open to 315 municipalities in July.

According to an announcement by Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, municipalities with a population of up to 100,000 residents will be eligible to submit their digital transformation proposals between July 1 – October 31.

Budgeted at some 230 million euros, the Smart Cities program’s second phase is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Eligible municipalities can receive funds between 210,000 – 2,77 million euros depending on their population.

The aim of the program is to upgrade everyday life for citizens and local communities through digital projects that best meet the priorities of each municipality, through a list of projects divided into seven categories:

• sustainable mobility
• energy saving
• reduction of energy footprint for municipal buildings
• improvement of services for citizens and businesses
• improvement of quality of life
• strengthening local democracy, consultation and transparency
• protection against cyber ​​attacks and enhancement of digital infrastructure.

Municipalities will be called to select among 38 actions that best meet their needs. These include:

• a smart parking system
• smart stops for public transportation
• a smart system ensuring access for people with mobility problems
• smart and disabled-friendly pedestrian crossings
• a smart city / municipal guide offering info on local businesses
• management of indoor and outdoor sports, culture and entertainment venues
• electronic ticket management for sports and cultural events
• a smart warning system for extreme natural phenomena (floods, fire, earthquakes etc.)
• the digitilization of local cultural heritage
• the selection of a digital twin city.

Trikala, Greece

The Smart Cities program’s first phase launched last year for 16 municipalities with over 100,000 residents as well as for Trikala, a city that has already developed significant digital infrastructure.