Urban Innovation Clusters Kick-Off with Dynamic Communities of Practices

In January 2026, the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme officially kick-started introductory meetings of three Urban Innovation Cluster Communities of Practice (CoPs). These thematic groups bring together 12 cities from Europe and 9 cities Asia, Australasia to strengthen cooperation, exchange knowledge and develop joint pilot actions addressing shared urban challenges.

The meetings marked an important milestone in building collaborative pathways across regions, setting the foundation for study visits, joint methodologies, and innovative pilot projects supported through IURC programme.

CoP on Economy in Cities – Startups, Innovation Ecosystems and Branding

The CoP 12: Economy in Cities – Startups, Innovation Ecosystems and Branding is coordinated by Grenoble Alpes Métropole and convenes cities actively shaping vibrant entrepreneurial environments and innovation-led development strategies. The meeting is participated by cities from Warsaw, Espoo, Torino, Leuven, Bielsko-Biała, Rome, Nagoya and Pimpri Chinchwad.

Shared challenges and focus areas

• Supporting deep-tech entrepreneurship and scaling internationally
• Attracting investors and global talent
• Connecting startups with established industries and research institutions
• Ensuring innovation ecosystems also deliver social inclusion and urban regeneration

Best practices exchanged

• Grenoble Alpes Métropole showcased its strong deep-tech innovation base supported by flagship events like Tech&Fest.
• Nagoya presented its global matchmaking initiatives and university startup programmes through TechGALA and Tongali.
• Warsaw proposed joint startup missions connected to major technology events, complemented by podcasts and online meetups to boost scaling.
• Espoo highlighted innovation clusters in quantum technology and circular economy, alongside key Nordic networking platforms.
• Rome shared its work on innovation hubs in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, linking startups with social inclusion goals.
• Pimpri Chinchwad (PCMC) introduced procurement innovation models enabling municipalities to directly support startups through faster collaboration pathways.

CoP on Data-driven Cities and Digital Governance

The kick-off meeting of CoP 9: Data-driven City & Digital Governance is coordinated by Barcelona Metropolitan Area and brought together cities working at the forefront of digital transformation, AI applications and governance frameworks. This meeting is participated by cities from Hamburg, Christchurch, Osaka, Incheon, and Kaohsiung.

Shared challenges

• Lack of clear institutional digital governance frameworks
• Fragmented urban data systems and limited AI integration
• Data privacy constraints and unclear platform ownership
• High costs and complexity of digital twin development
• The need to embed data-driven decision-making into daily municipal operations

Best practices exchanged

• Barcelona highlighted integrated tools such as BIM–GIS systems and AI-supported citizen service analysis.
• Hamburg shared expertise in open analytics platforms and micromobility data models, stressing that “only used data is good data.”
• Incheon shared its vision for AI City and ambition for implementing pilot project with tangilbe outcome such as utilising test-bed in IFEZ
• Christchurch presented SmartView, a citizen-oriented platform with over 80 datasets supporting resilience planning and community engagement.
• Osaka introduced its Smart City Strategy and City DX Promotion Plan, seeking stronger models for cross-sector data collaboration.
• Kaohsiung showcased sovereign AI mobility applications, including AI-driven evacuation stress tests and smart governance dashboards.

Planned outputs include joint publications, capacity-building workshops, and the exploration of an AI City Alliance for continued collaboration.

CoP on the International Human Smart Living Lab Network

The January meeting also launched CoP 11: International Human Smart Living Lab Network, coordinated by Coimbra, focused on citizen-led experimentation and new models of cross-city innovation collaboration. The meeting is participated by Christchurch, Cork and Jeonju.

Shared focus and challenges

This CoP addresses how cities can develop structured living labs that are both locally grounded and internationally connected.

Key challenges discussed included:

• Ensuring meaningful citizen participation in innovation processes
• Developing shared methodologies across different contexts
• Managing survey implementation and regulatory constraints
• Linking pilot experimentation with long-term governance frameworks

Cities agreed on a roadmap including a citizen participant survey, a shared digital cooperation platform, and micro-pilot implementation in urban regeneration spaces.

What’s Next: Expanding Urban Innovation Cooperation in 2026

Following the January kick-offs, cities are now entering the next phase of cooperation: shaping Urban Cooperation Action Plans (UCAPs), refining thematic priorities, and identifying opportunities for joint pilot implementation through the IURC programme.

In addition, the Urban Innovation Cluster will further expand in February with the official kick-off of:

CoP on Multispecies Resilience AI Agent Cooperation (Planetary Intelligence)

This CoP is coordinated by Tampere. This upcoming Community of Practice will explore innovative future pathways where:

1. Human and planetary well-being are seamlessly integrated into urban development concepts and governance models
2. Advanced technologies, including AI, act as advocates for ecosystems, species and planetary boundaries, supporting cities in navigating climate resilience and ecological regeneration

This new CoP will bring an important planetary dimension into the Urban Innovation Cluster, reinforcing IURC’s commitment to future-oriented, holistic and resilient urban transitions.

The IURC programme looks forward to supporting all Communities of Practice as they develop concrete outputs, study visits and pilot actions throughout 2026 and beyond.

Written by Yookyung Oh, Country Coordinator of Republic of Korea, IURC Programme (yoh@iurc.eu)