SciTransfer
Sharing Cities · Project

Proven Smart City Infrastructure Upgrades That Cut Energy Costs and Boost Mobility

digitalPilotedTRL 7
sharingcities.eu

Imagine upgrading a city the way you'd upgrade your phone — connecting everything from streetlights to electric car chargers through one smart digital layer. That's what 44 organizations across 8 European countries actually built and tested in real neighborhoods. They installed sensor-equipped lampposts, rolled out energy-efficient building retrofits, and created digital tools that help residents make greener choices about transport and energy. The whole point was to prove these upgrades work at scale, not just in a lab, so other cities can copy the playbook.

By the numbers
44
consortium partners across the project
8
countries involved in testing and replication
3
demonstrator areas with physical smart infrastructure deployments
100
total project deliverables completed
22
industry partners in the consortium
11
SMEs participating in the project
The business problem

What needed solving

Cities worldwide are spending billions on piecemeal smart upgrades — a sensor here, an app there — without proof that these pieces work together at district scale. Municipal procurement teams need evidence that integrated smart city solutions actually deliver measurable energy savings and improved mobility before they commit public funds. The gap between small pilot projects and city-wide deployment remains the biggest barrier to smart city investment.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 100 completed outputs including physical installations of smart lampposts with multi-sensors across 3 demonstrator areas, integrated energy-efficient district solutions, eMobility infrastructure, and citizen engagement digital tools. They also produced replication workshops, bid-writing training materials, and tested business and investment models for scaling these solutions to new cities.

Audience

Who needs this

IoT and smart lighting companies selling to municipalitiesEnergy service companies (ESCOs) doing district-level building retrofitseMobility and shared transport platform operatorsCity planning consultancies advising on digital transformationReal estate developers building energy-efficient urban districts
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Urban technology and smart infrastructure
SME
Target: Companies that sell IoT sensors, smart lighting, or connected infrastructure to municipalities

If you are a smart infrastructure provider struggling to prove ROI to city procurement teams — this project deployed sensor-equipped smart lampposts across 3 demonstrator areas in major European cities, with 44 consortium partners validating the technology. The replication workshops and bid-writing training materials they created can help you structure winning proposals for municipal contracts.

Energy efficiency and building retrofit
mid-size
Target: Energy service companies (ESCOs) and building retrofit firms

If you are an energy services company trying to scale district-level efficiency upgrades beyond one-off building projects — this project tested integrated energy-efficient district solutions across multiple European cities with 8 countries involved. Their digital-first approach connected existing building infrastructure through ICT, creating measurable efficiency gains that can anchor your business case for larger contracts.

Electric mobility and shared transport
any
Target: eMobility platform operators and shared vehicle fleet managers

If you are an eMobility operator looking to integrate your charging or vehicle-sharing service into city-wide infrastructure — this project developed and tested integrated urban mobility solutions alongside energy and digital systems in 3 demonstrator areas. Their investment and governance models can help you navigate municipal partnerships and co-funding structures.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost my company to adopt these smart city solutions?

The project data does not disclose per-unit costs or licensing fees. However, the consortium specifically developed investment and business models designed to make these solutions financially viable for cities of different sizes. Contact the coordinator for pricing discussions.

Can these solutions scale beyond the pilot cities?

Yes — scaling was the project's central goal. They ran replication workshops over multiple years and created training for bid writing specifically to help new cities adopt the solutions. The consortium included 44 partners across 8 countries, testing in 3 demonstrator areas to prove scalability.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license it?

With 44 partners including 22 industry players and 11 SMEs, IP ownership is distributed across the consortium. Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not publicly listed. You would need to contact the Greater London Authority or individual technology partners directly.

How does this integrate with existing city infrastructure?

The project explicitly adopted a digital-first approach to prove that ICT integration can improve and connect existing infrastructure, not just new builds. Smart lampposts with multi-sensors were designed to retrofit into current street lighting networks in the 3 demonstrator areas.

What governance models exist for city partnerships?

The project developed and trialed business, investment, and governance models specifically for aggregating and replicating smart city solutions. These were tested across cities of different sizes and maturities across 8 countries, making them adaptable to various municipal structures.

What is the project timeline and current status?

The project ran from January 2016 to December 2021 and is now closed. All 100 deliverables have been completed. The solutions are deployment-ready and the replication materials are available for new adopters.

Consortium

Who built it

This is one of the larger smart city consortia in Horizon 2020 with 44 partners spanning 8 countries. The 50% industry ratio (22 industry partners) signals strong commercial grounding — this wasn't an academic exercise. With 11 SMEs in the mix alongside the Greater London Authority as coordinator, the project bridges municipal governance with technology vendors and service providers. The 3 university partners and 8 research organizations provided the technical backbone, while 11 "other" organizations likely include city authorities and civic bodies. The geographic spread across Western and Eastern Europe (including Bulgaria and Poland alongside UK, France, Italy) means the solutions were stress-tested across different regulatory environments and infrastructure maturity levels.

How to reach the team

Greater London Authority (UK) — use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the project lead's direct contact

Order a report on this consortiumSee GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the Sharing Cities team or access to their replication toolkit? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific need — whether that's smart lighting, energy retrofits, or eMobility integration.

Order a report on this topicMore in Digital & ICT
More in Digital & ICT
See all Digital & ICT projects →
Affordable Satellite Communication Modules That Give SMEs Direct Access to Space Data
InnoSpaceComm
Open →
Home Dining Marketplace Connecting Travelers with Local Hosts Across Europe
ECINPERSON
Open →
AI-Powered 3D Art Creation That Cuts Production Time for Game and Film Studios
ArtomatixSuite
Open →