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Tag: innovation

2nd Business Talk Webinar: Exploring How the GDS Index Helps Destinations Turn Sustainability Ambitions into Action

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Programme hosted a Knowledge Transfer Webinar on 3 June 2026 titled “Deconstructing Sustainability: How the GDS Index Can Help You Transform Your Destination.” The event brought together representatives from cities, regions, tourism organizations, and sustainability practitioners to explore how destinations can measure, benchmark, and improve their sustainability performance using the Global Destination Sustainability...

Prato Showcases Smart and Sustainable Industrial Tourism Solutions in IURC AA Technical Deep Dive

The third Technical Deep Dive Session under the International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Asia & Australasia Community of Practice (CoP3) on Sustainable Smart Tourism brought together city representatives, experts, and project partners to exchange innovative approaches for sustainable tourism development. The session was hosted by the city of Prato, Italy, and focused on the EPIC project, which promotes industrial...

1st City-Business Talk Webinar: Shimla City Showcases Smart Parking Success

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme hosted the First City-Business Talk webinar highlighting Shimla City's innovative smart parking initiative as a practical example of how this Asian City uses digital solutions which can be transferred to cities growing urban mobility challenges. The session brought together municipal representatives, technology experts, and urban practitioners from India and Europe to exchange...

Coimbra demonstrates how AI-Powered Tourism Takes Centre Stage in Shaping the Future of Smart Destinations

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Programme convened its second Deep Dive Online Technical Session (DDOTS) under Community of Practice 3 (CoP 3) on Sustainable Smart Tourism on 30 April 2026, hosted by Coimbra. Bringing together cities from Europe and Asia, the session focused on smart destination intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI) as key drivers of sustainable tourism development....

Leh Hosts Trans-Himalayan Climate Conclave showcasing Global Collaboration through IURC

The Municipal Committee of Leh, in collaboration with key national and international partners, successfully hosted the Trans-Himalayan Urban Climate Conclave on 10–11 April 2026. The event brought together policymakers, experts, and institutions to advance climate-resilient and net-zero pathways for Himalayan cities. The conclave served as an important platform to address the unique challenges faced by high-altitude cities, including water scarcity,...

Reimagining Ecotourism: IURC Webinar Highlights Smart, Sustainable Innovations in Malaysia

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) Programme convened a Deep Dive Online Thematic Webinar on March 31st, 2026 under Community of Practice (CoP) 3, focusing on the use of integrated smart technologies to promote sustainable ecotourism in Seberang Perai, Malaysia. The session showcased three innovative pilot actions led by the Seberang Perai City Council: the AutoCity SpiderWeb Ecosystem, an...

IURC explores innovation partnerships at Grenoble TechFest 2026: From deep tech to global city collaboration

The International Urban and Regional Cooperation (IURC) programme continues to strengthen connections between European innovation ecosystems and partner cities worldwide. During a mission to Grenoble TechFest from 5-6 February 2026, Oscar Prat van Thiel, SNKE on Business and Academia Support, engaged with regional stakeholders, startups and technology leaders to explore how emerging European solutions could support urban transitions across Asia...

Kochi-Messina collaboration leads to pilot flood management warning system in the city of Kochi

As part of the IURC Programme, five water level sensors were installed in Kochi, India from November 13-16, 2023, in cooperation with Kochi Municipal Corporation, Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development (C-HED), Kochi, City of Messina and University of Messina. The water level sensors were developed by the University of Messina and were deployed in the city of Kochi by...

Beijing, Dalian, Hangzhou and Zhengzhou Delegates Visit Lazio Region and Region of Western Greece

From July 16 to July 22, The representatives from Beijing, Dalian, Hangzhou and Zhengzhou embarked the first IURC-China delegation visit to Europe, focusing on exchanging best practices in sustainable agriculture, regional innovation, culture and tourism. The visit in Lazio Region (Italy) and Region of Western Greece (Greece) provided the delegation provided a glimpse of European regional development strategies and innovation...

Exchange of Global Learnings on Digital Tools for Flood Management

30 October 2023 As part of the IURC thematic network ‘Ecological Transition & Green Deal’, IURC AA (India) delivered the thematic cluster event Digital Tools for Flood Management on 30th October 2023. Officials from the cities of Panaji, Kochi, Leh, Christchurch, Semarang, Surakarta, Penampang, Melaka, Rotterdam, Messina, and Meteora/Farkadona/Trikala (Greece) attended the interactive event, as well as representatives from organisations...